Layla Messkoub: Botanical Explorations at The Foundation Gallery

The Foundation Gallery is thrilled to present Botanical Explorations, new work by Layla Messkoub. The exhibition will open in celebration of Dirty Linen Night 2015 and will be up through August 31. 25% of proceeds from the show, as well as the gallery shop, will be donated to the Mini Art Center, a non-profit art space in Algiers Point offering affordable workshops and open studio time for the local community. 

It is a rare and wondrous thing when an artist can so seamlessly convey the beauty they see in the world in a way that is as approachable as it is satisfying. Layla Messkoub’s mixed collages are delicate and intricately composed, yet have a lush, bold quality that calls upon the viewer to participate in the celebratory manner in which she sees the world. Inspired by her travels, her love of mixing traditional techniques with ones of her own devise, and her own backyard here in New Orleans, these collages capture the vibrancy of the world around us. Combining hand-printed papers, batiked fabrics, and other treasures from her travels, Messkoub creates a visual symphony of color and texture, tying it all together with hand-drawn elements and experiments in embroidery and stich-work. Whether capturing the flora and fauna of her own garden or the rolling waves of the water that surrounds us, Messkoub has put together a body of work that pulls you in and leaves you with a sense that the world can be as bright and bold as you make it.