I know Orla from 1993 onwards and had - and have - the privilege to see her develop as an artist. Her love for stories and narrative shows through in her work. They are fragments of life, of other people's lives: well observed studies of postures and moments. She leaves it to us, the viewers of her work to fill them in… Read more

I know Orla from 1993 onwards and had - and have - the privilege to see her develop as an artist. Her love for stories and narrative shows through in her work. They are fragments of life, of other people's lives: well observed studies of postures and moments. She leaves it to us, the viewers of her work to fill them in and in that way create our own stories. That's one reason why the figures are not too detailed. At the opening of an exhibition, one person was overheard saying: "this just looks like my granny" while another person saw someone else in the same character. Orla's work stirs memories and triggers the imagination. Orla often uses warm and vivid colours and that, in a way, is a reflection of her personality: warm and spontaneous, open minded, interested in a lot of things, inquisitive, with a wicked sense of humour and great imagination. She's determined to get where she wants to be. She did a 4 year art studies in 3 years while working on the side. She's also a loyal friend and an inspiration.