Liza Lou’s trademark glass bead works exist as a sensual mix of contradictions. Since 2005, Lou has made her objects with the collaborative efforts of Zulu artisans in a studio she established in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Lou’s process is inherently labor-intensive and collaborative in nature, and she embraces both the formal beauty and handmade imperfections that result. Her Solid series are beaded ‘canvases’ that resemble monochromatic Modernist paintings from the early 20th century. However, rather than heralding the individual expression of a heroic artist, they are luminous, variegated surfaces that are the result of numerous hours of collective work. Lou has exhibited in numerous museums and galleries around the world, including The New Museum, New York; the Metropolitan Museum, New York; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; LACMA, Los Angeles; Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art, Athens; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; and Smithsonian Institution of American Art, Washington, DC. Lou’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, New York; The Metropolitan Museum, New York; Fondation Cartier Pour I’art Contemporain, Paris; and François Pinault Foundation, Palazzo Grassi, Venice.
