CALLS FOR PLEASURE
In dialogue with Oh de Laval
FVTVRIST Magazine // 3 February 2026
Oh de Laval is a Warsaw-born painter whose figurative practice navigates desire and psychological tension through vivid cinematic compositions. Known for a palette that oscillates between sweetness and unease, including the Venetian pink that has marked much of her work, her paintings operate as self-contained narratives, drawing equally from fantasy, observation and inner impulse.
In this interview, she speaks about colour, atmosphere and the porous line between reality and imagination.
Temptation of Oh de Laval, acrylic on canvas 50x40cm,2025 ©Courtesy of Galerie Marguo and Oh de Laval .
What projects can you share that you're working on as we step into 2026?
I would prefer not to share my future projects, but I am participating
in some exciting shows in Europe and the U.S.
You have a bicultural background, does that inform your work?
Unfortunately, not very much. I was born, raised, and studied in Warsaw, so I feel the most connected to Poland, England, and France — places where I have spent most of my life.
Venetian pink, which became your signature, appears less in your recent work, is that a conscious shift?
No, I simply choose colours that suit the atmosphere I want to create
in a painting. Venetian pink is very sweet, but it can limit me when I’m trying to create a specific environment for my figures, and I shouldn’t
feel obligated to use it just because it’s my recognisable colour.
My liver has to handle what my heat cannot, 2021 (detail), ©Courtesy of Galerie Marguo, Oh de Laval
Where do you draw the line between fantasy and reality when creating a work?
I never wanted to draw the line; I let the viewer draw it. I like to hear what the viewer sees as realistic.
Your work often engages with desire and secrecy, and carries
a strong sense of sensuality, is there a secret you'd be willing to share with us?
I don’t like tomatoes.
GIVE ME A SUMMER TO REMEMBER, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
©Courtesy of Galerie Marguo and Oh de Laval
If you weren't an artist, who would you want to be? Would you like to explore other creative fields beyond visual art, such as fashion or cinema?
I think a painter is always, at least partially, interested in fashion and cinema. It’s not a direct source of inspiration, but more of a mood indicator. I believe the worlds of art, fashion, and cinema will always be connected, with art at the top (obviously). I have no idea who I would be if I weren’t a painter — at this point, I don’t see any other path for myself. But as a child, I wanted to be a vet, and I can still take very good care of animals.
Your works feel very cinematic, with clear narratives and a distinct sense of humor. Where do the stories in your universe come from? Do your characters ever return?
My paintings are a mix of fantasy, imagination and stories.
A very simple thing I would notice on the street or a sentence
I hear can bring a stream of ideas. It’s all created in my head.
I have no idea who I would be if I weren’t
a painter — at this point, I don’t see any other path for myself.
About Oh de Laval
Oh de Laval (b.1990, Warsaw, PL) earned a degree in sociology from the University of Warsaw in 2016 before moving to London to pursue painting. Her work is concerned with human behaviour: the decisions we make and consequences of our actions. In this spirit, each of de Laval’s paintings acts as a window into our inner characters, pleasures and fantasies. Among Oh de Laval’s inspirations, the most significant are human desires, secrets and our wild nature.
Many of her paintings are dominated by “Venetian pink” which became her signature colour. To de Laval, everyone's life is a mix of comedy and drama. With each artwork she challenges herself to express these ideas through painting, questioning the viewer to reflect on the purpose and seriousness of life.
Source: Galerie Marguo
