Omar Lalani - painter

Omar Lalani explores the psychosensory through the haptics of paint and the interplay of colour and form. Through a self-perpetuating process, he builds up and scrapes away layers of colour and texture, exploring both the stylistic and material possibilities of painting. Through his unexpected colour combinations, and at times palpable bodily forms, Lalani’s paintings become evocative of visceral and sensory experiences.

Born in Toronto, Omar now lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His work has been recently exhibited at 1969 Gallery New York, New York; Little Sister, Toronto, ON; Project Gallery, Toronto, ON; AVALANCHE AVALANCHE, Calgary, AB; Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI; and Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI. and was the co-founder of Pushmi-Pullyu Gallery, Toronto, ON. He received his BDes from the Alberta University of the Arts, and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

His newest exhibition “Tick tock, drip, drop” are the sounds of the studio as I am busy working or perched scrutinising. These paintings were made in Milwaukee, a place with an abundance of both time and space. Surrounded with such openness, I would long for the solitude of my cramped studio, where I could escape from the oppression of these gifts. Late at night the tick tock of the second hand would also be set free from the diligent pacing around the clock, finally able to stretch its legs and roam. In this freedom it became possible for me to dig for new forms, explore the haptics of paint, and test colour.

Check out Omar's website to see more of his work.

You can also find him on Instagram at @omarlalani