Tula Oliver

My work explores the idea of metamorphosis in relation to the intrinsic link between the physical body and the metaphysical concept of self. I’m interested in the psychological perplexities that surround the relationship between the corporeal and the construction of personal identity, as well as the effects that revolutionary cosmetic and biological technologies have in the expression of identity through physical modification. More recently I’ve taken interest in the interjection of biotech in prenatal development, and how the sci-fi trope of the supra-human is being realized through modern biological technologies. I am often looking for avenues of the unexpected. An ironic twist to images or things you might not expect through their combinations. I create sci-fi inspired worlds to explore how scientific intervention in nature directly engenders psychological effects on the human psyche. My work takes on various forms intended to draw in the viewer asking them to create new and unpredictable cycles of thought and association, that challenge one’s perceptions, perspectives and assumptions. These work take inspiration from the conceptual and aesthetic principles of the surrealist movement, focusing on the subconscious, body consciousness, and the relations between organisms and their environment/ecosystem.