L-Word.com News Stories

By LanaRus

It is not surprising that the success of Laurel Holloman’s art exhibits in Paris and Venice brought her even more notoriety as a serious abstract artist and earned her praise from the European art world. That fact alone motivated Laurel to pursue other European venues. “So far the reception to my work in Europe is very positive and I am looking to build a European exhibition history because if you show strong in Europe it is a good sign for an artist and also good investment for the collector,” Laurel said to me recently and added, “Also no one there knows me so much as an actress which I like.”

Success of her first two solo shows didn’t stop Laurel from working full-time on creating new abstract murals and paintings to prepare for the next solo show, this time in Berlin, Germany. The Berlin Exhibition will be held at the Palazzo Italia from April 27 to June 23, 2013. Palazzo Italia was the former luxurious Hotel de Rome, situated right at the heart of Berlin near the famous Brandenburg Gate. After it was renovated, the Palazzo Italia became Berlin’s most glamorous locations for hospitality and event hosting in the city.

“Berlin show is called All The World Inside. It is sixteen large murals, most of them abstract. This show is sponsored by the Hart foundation. Palazzo-Italia was chosen because it had the space to hold the large murals and it is in central Berlin. Berlin is really the center of modern art at the moment so I am excited to go there,” Laurel explained her choice of the venue.

After Berlin, Laurel is going back to Italy where she had such a tremendous success last summer. Her first appearance is scheduled in the group show, called Nell’Acqua Capisco (In Water I Understand) in the Venice Biennale from June 1 to November 30. To be asked to participate in a show like this is a big honor. “I am really proud to have a painting chosen for the Venice Biennale in a group show with other known Italian artists.”

But this is not all. Another solo show in Venice is also scheduled in September. Laurel told me a little bit more about this show and her progress as an artist. Venice show “called Everything Under Breath, which will have about nine murals. This show will have a similar style but very different color palette. The murals look mostly as if they are frozen in ice. Both of these shows (in Italy) are curated by Lea Mattarella who is the art critic for Repubblica in Rome, so I am very fortunate to be working with her. She is very sharp and has a great vision.”

For those art lovers and fans of Laurel’s work who want to see what’s behind Laurel’s art, she advices, “I also think that as people see these next two shows and see my statement of purpose for Berlin, they will see a style and pattern emerging within my work.”

For more information an Laurel’s work and exhibits, keep checking her art website laurelholloman.net

By LanaRus

I caught up with Laurel Holloman at Miki Turner’s book launch party last week. As Miki said in her opening speech, Laurel was a strong force behind getting the book published and she herself also appeared in Miki’s book alongside one of her paintings. When we got a little break at the party, I had a chance to talk to Laurel about her art, her participation with Miki’s book and her plans for the future.

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By LanaRus

Miki Turner, an award-winning photojournalist, came up with the idea of this book six years ago. There is a popular saying that you can’t truly love anyone else until you learn to love yourself. Miki Turner went on a journey to ask a variety of fascinating and exceptional women just one question: at what point did you fall in love with yourself?

The answers were as diverse as the women she asked but no matter how different each journey is or if not everyone had an answer, this book reminds us that we all are making this journey to recognize our worth, our potential and our inner and outer beauty.

At the launch party Miki gave a short speech, thanking several friends for being there with her on that journey, pushing her to work hard and finish the book. One of those friends was Laurel Holloman who Miki met at a press event a few years ago and who became a strong force behind getting the book published.

Miki had a little story behind each shot that ended up in the book and here’s the story of Laurel’s photo that Miki used. “Laurel and I met at a press event and soon discovered we had some things in common. About four months later I approached her people about the book and was told she’d meet me in Malibu. We got so engrossed in girl talk during our first meeting that we never got around to shooting. A week later we met at little dune beach but I didn’t really think those shots captured her. A year later, however, we were shooting headshots at her home in the hills and that stuff was just incredible. I was going to use one of those until I shot her painting at her studio near Venice beach. This shot, albeit a happy accident as she was looking down in between frames, was actually used as the promotional photo for her art exhibit in Venice, Italy in July, 2012. It was a hard decision but I opted to swap the other one out for this one as she has moved on from that period in her life. This is who she is today.”

All of the stories are incredible and the answers to Miki’s question give us a deeper insight into the women’s journeys to love themselves. No matter if they are celebrities, activists, or businesswomen, they all share a familiar but unique experiences as women, mothers, and human beings.

The book “Journey to the women I’ve come to love” is coming out late November so be sure to check it out for the amazing black & white photos and fascinating stories behind them.

By LanaRus

Photo by Miki Turner

It’s amazing how time flies, isn’t it? Just a little over two years ago Laurel Holloman, who was a full-time actress and one of the stars of The L Word, donated a few of her paintings for a MAASAI Wilderness Fund auction that pretty much started her career as a professional painter and this April she will have her first solo Art Show in Paris.

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