Polly Nor (born 2 June 1989 in London, England)[citation needed] is a contemporary freelance surrealist artist who draws "women and their demons".[1] Her art mainly focuses on the themes of female identity, self esteem in the 21st century[2] and the portrayal of women in their bedrooms. Nor states that she is inspired by her own experiences as a woman,[3] her struggles with depression, technology, and the average, modern day woman. She works in a multitude of mediums, including print and sculpture, to create her unconventional style. She grew up drawing and received a degree in illustration from Loughborough University.[3]
Career
According to Niloufar Haidari, Nor's satirical and humorous look into female sexuality and its demons led to her rise in popularity.[4] Her art has become famous on social media[5] and she has worked with Gucci,[6] Andy Baker and Chelou for the music video "Halfway to Nowhere",[7]Dazed, Dr Martens, and Complex magazine. She was also a guest speaker for The Apple Store hosted by Dazed in 2016.[8] In 2017, Nor was working on illustrating a book for Bloomsbury Publishing[4] and had an exhibition through Red Bull Studios London.[5][9]
Works
Nor initially became popular online and her work has been shown in multiple art galleries. As a part of the Association of Illustrators, she has produced various shows including "Sorry Grandma: An Exhibition of Obscene Illustrations"[10][11] at 71a Gallery in 2015 and "It's Called Art Mum, Look it Up"[5][9] and "Airing My Dirty Laundry In Public"[11][12][13] at Protein Studios in 2017 and 2018, respectively. While most of her shows take place in London, she has shown her work at the "NSFW: The Female Gaze"[14] exhibit in Museum of Sex in New York City. Her art work often references pop culture and per Haidari, is considered a modern day take of the Lowbrow art movement.[4]
Nor says her work, especially her common theme "women in devil suits", is "about growing up: feeling the pressure to look a certain way, or to put this face on for the rest of the world, but lots of people read into it in different ways".[15]
^Villalonga, Carlos (6 April 2017). "Polly Nor | Abuela, aquí hay ilustraciones obscenas" [Polly Nor | Grandma, there are obscene illustrations here]. Infomag Magazine (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.