Cool Hunting

British artist Orly Orbach produces dark, mysterious illustrations of mythical figures and rituals. Her works are gathering acclaim in the UK film and theater industries, attracting attention for their atmospheric otherworldliness which lends itself brilliantly to imaginative storytelling.

Orbach, a Royal College of Art graduate, works within the enchanted world of narrative, taking inspiration from writers and poets as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe and Maya Angelou. The common thread lies in the soulful, but mournful and slightly haunted images that emerge on the page.

Orbach has produced work for album covers and theater productions, such as the innovative The Masque of the Red Death by the company Punchdrunk . She has also produced artwork for films including the upcoming British production The Sea Change.

A solo show of Orbach's work, entitled Underworlds, recently opened at London's 00. Hackney Empire Theater this week. The series is described as focusing "on the state of liminality, drawing upon a collection of traditional and modern tales. The drawings offer a glimpse into the darker dwellings of the soul, from where it can emerge transformed. Her drawings depict enchanted worlds in which characters transform and stories mutate, inviting the viewer to explore and interpret the visual narratives she constructs. The theme of the exhibition Underworlds is based on SpongeBob Squarepants, a stage production at the Hackney Empire Theatre."

Orly Orbach at The Marie Lloyd Bar
Through 17 February 2009
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street London E8 1EJ map
tel. +44 (0) 20 8985 2424