Orla Kurkierewicz-Toland

Orla Kurkierewicz Toland is an artist and curator based in Nottingham and recently finished studying their MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, UAL in London and graduated with a BA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL in 2022.

Orla works with the idea of the queer archive and what it means to re-archive queer media. Their work has been mostly concerned with repurposing lesbian media such as The L Word (2004) and looking over personal histories that have all been consequential to their identity. Their work is an investigation of the ‘loop’, a feature used on algorithmic platforms in which a video continually plays, such as fan edits. Here in these loops lies a space (the comment section), where queer people can act out their desires.

More recently, their focus has shifted towards the industrial and the use of industrial materials. Growing up in Derby, with a family rooted in the trades and grandparents who moved from different countries and places to work in factories across the East Midlands, they have developed a strong interest in factory signage and industrial materials. Orla is interested in how the industrial landscape can intersect with queer identity and humour.

Recent exhibitions and screenings include: MA Fine Art Degree Show, Central Saint Martins, 2026; Short Film Showcase, CND, 2026; Sanctuaries, St Augustine's Church Hall, 2026; Playhouse, Wild Trumpets, London, 2026; Lesbian Surfaces, Vagina Museum, London 2026; Vaulted, CND, London, 2026; Fandom, Jealous Gallery, London Art Services, 2025; L Word(s), The Good Rice, London, 2025 and "Is That Straight?", Hypha Studios, London, 2025.