DEBI OULU
PENETRATION
Debi Oulu is as bright and intense as her newest series of light sculptures, titled “Penetration”. Her passion shines from the first moment you meet her.
“Being an artist is who I am, every moment of the day. It’s about exploring the rules and boundaries we imagine to be real, and then going beyond them. The language of art is how I communicate this most fluidly.”
In addition to the language of art, Oulu speaks both English and Hebrew fluently. Born in Arizona, the artist grew up in an intellectual Jewish home. Her father’s paintings, sculptures and violin music exposed her to the world of art.
She received her BA in communication from UCSD. After traveling alone for a year in the Far East, she moved to Israel, where she worked as a 3-D animator and Web Designer before becoming a full-time artist. Her formal art studies began with the artist Yehezkel Cohen, continued at the Midrasha School of Art and then under the mentorship of the professor of art, Henry Lee Anderson, in his bronze casting foundry. She has also studied at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in their Community Based Art program. In her first solo exhibition, “Penetration”, Oulu’s sculptures change the way we view portraits. Her portraits “penetrate” through the outer body, to expose the inner essence of the person.
She intertwines her illuminated cables with different objects that contain narratives to craft portraits which are more revealing and raw than any nude could ever be. “It was important to show how people “look” from the inside, not how we usually label a person based on sex, age and color”
As Doron Polak, art critique and curator, explained:
“The illuminated cable sculptures of Debi Oulu delves deeply into the philosophical concept of ‘body’ both physically and metaphysically in a stunningly executed manner that has followed Oulu throughout her artistic career. The illuminated cables are bright white “bodies” that capture the viewer’s eye during the day, and at night, they sweep the viewer into a sensual and dramatic vortex. “
For the past three years, Oulu has also been creating large interactive art installations at Israel’s Burning Man festival -Midburn. “The Midburn community has given me a platform to create, collaborate, and build my wildest dreams”.
“Debi Oulu adds interactive and multimedia elements which elevate her works from static objects to a comprehensive experience which enables the visitors to touch and become part of the art work. Her installations, video art, and multimedia creations express her desire to reveal the naked truth, to connect, touch and find the common denominator between all people.” – Dr. Dalia Hakker-Orion, art critique
While exhibiting in galleries, her favorite venues are alternative “non-art” spaces where she can bring art into contact with people in everyday settings such as bus stations, schools, public streets, night clubs, and festivals. She has exhibited in Israel, Italy, Australia, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Los Vegas.
She intertwines her illuminated cables with different objects that contain narratives to craft portraits which are more revealing and raw than any nude could ever be. ”It was important to show hoe people “look” from the inside, not how we usually lavel a person based on sex, age and color.” As Doron Polak, art ciritique and curator stated,
“The illuminated cable sculptures of Debi Oulu delves deeply into the philosophical concept of ‘body’ both physically and metaphysically in a stunningly executed manner that has followed Oulu throughout her artistic career. The illuminated cables are bright white “bodies” that capture the viewer’s eye during the day, and at night, they sweep the viewer into a sensual and dramatic vortex”.
For the past three years, Oulu has also been creating large interactive art installations at Israel’s Burning Man festival, Midburn. “The Midburn community has given me a platform to create, collaborate, and build my wildest dreams”, says Oulu.
“Debi Oulu adds interactive and multimedia elements which elevate her works from static objects to a comprehensive experience which enables the visitors to touch and become part of the art work. Her installations, video art and multimedia creations express her desire to reveal the naked truth, to connect, to touch and to find the common denominator between all people.”
-Dr Dalia Hakker-Orion, art critique
While exhibiting in galleries, Oulu’s favorite venues are alternative “non-art” spaces where she can bring art into contact with people in everyday settings such as bus stations, schools, public streets, night clubs and festivals. She has exhibited in Israel, Italy, Australia, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
DEBI OULU
Website: http://debioulu.com/
