Biography

Kayla Eli (she/her) is a Kenyan-Canadian multidisciplinary artist and writer based in Ottawa. Working across an array of mediums, her practice examines the mundanity of life and the charm of memories. By studying the absence of value in found objects from second-hand stores, Eli reimagines the meaning of these objects in her sculpture and textile art, focusing on temporality and abjection. Her new media art critiques the early, participative stages of the internet by exploring parasocial relationships within popular culture and creating new realities through fictional, archival websites. She aims for viewers to stumble upon these websites and question the phenomena in her work. And Eli’s video art, which ranges from experimental vignettes to non-linear storytelling, explores identity and surrealism.

Eli has exhibited in shows in Ottawa and Vernon, and has artwork and creative writings published in independent magazines such as Subtext Zines, Danger Zone Zine, and many more. She previously worked as a research assistant and technical administrator for Professor Jinny Yu, Dr. Celina Jeffery, and Ming Tiampo on the Canadian BIPOC Artists Rolodex. In 2023, Eli founded Bird Lips Zine, an independent-run and self-published series of zines. She has completed three issues, hosted collaborative zine events and facilitated zine-making workshops in classrooms.

Eli completed her BFA at the University of Ottawa in 2022, with a specialization in Sculpture. She was awarded The ARTENGINE prize for New Media, along with a Junior Fellowship at Artengine.