During the Collage & Illustration Residency – Orlando: A Biography, selected artists will embark on a creative exploration of Virginia Woolf’s 1928 groundbreaking work, examining themes of identity, transformation, and the fluidity of time. This virtual residency, part of Kolaj Institute’s ongoing Collage & Illustration project, seeks to bring together a dynamic group of artists who are passionate about merging art, literature, and the human experience. The resulting illustrations will be published alongside Orlando: A Biography, allowing artists to bring a fresh, contemporary perspective to this timeless narrative. A curated selection of artwork will also be exhibited at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024.

Orlando: A Biography narrates the extraordinary life of the titular character, who experiences centuries of existence, transitioning from male to female along the way. As Nancy Bernardo writes, “Orlando is a unique book that crosses the boundaries of gender roles and relationships, paralleling Woolf’s own complex feelings of heterosexual conformity, her role as a wife, and her affair with Vita Sackville-West.” Woolf’s exploration of gender, time, and self-discovery creates a world and a character that is truly “transhistorical, transsexual, translinear, and transient.”

During this project-driven virtual residency spanning four weeks, artists will collaboratively produce a series of collages that capture the essence of Orlando’s journey. As a group, participants will engage in discussions, analyze narrative nuances, and explore visual representations that resonate with a 21st-century audience. The residency will conclude with a deadline scheduled a month after the residency ends for the finished illustrations, allowing artists ample time to immerse themselves in their creative process and develop their unique interpretations.

Read the full Call to Artists HERE to apply.