Ya Levy La’ford

Florida Contemporary 2022-23

Installation view of The Vortex by Ya Levy La’Ford in Florida Contemporary 2022-23. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Photo: RoseBudz Productions.

Florida Contemporary, an annual exhibition organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, features artists with diverse artistic interests and backgrounds who hail from a variety of locations throughout Florida. The artists selected for the 10th edition of the exhibition are Edouard Duval-Carrié, Miami; Ya Levy La’ford, Tampa; and Robert Rivers, Maitland.

October 14 – June 11
Located in the Kohan Gallery, Hayes Hall

Ya Levy La’ford (b. 1979) Ya Levy La’ford (b. 1979) is known for her bold geometric installations, built with a unique vocabulary of intersecting lines and gestural repetition. Her labyrinth patterns are both an exploration of self and place, as well as the complexities of the human community.

The VORTEX is a site-specific installation created by La’ford for the 2022-23 iteration of Florida Contemporary. Combining sculpture, painting and prints, it is inspired by atmospheric physics, geology and astronomy. Its intersecting lines and overlapping shadows are characteristic of La’ford’s work, engaging the viewer in a careful observation of pattern and form. Through this tranquil, contemplative action, viewers are invited to reflect upon the web of interdependence that defines biological and social life. The labyrinthine forms suggest roots or veins, emphasizing how processes of nourishment and transmission interconnect all living things and the planet they inhabit.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, these ideas of connection and interdependence have become even more relevant to the Southwest Florida community. The artist began this installation in the days leading up to the storm and returned to Naples to complete it after it had passed. La’ford intends for her installations to be places of refuge and reflection for the community, something particularly needed during this challenging time of recovery.

La’ford is based in Tampa and has exhibited her work in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa. A first-generation Jamaican-American, she was born and raised in New York and holds a JD from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law and an MFA from The Art Institute of Boston. Examples of her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Vinik Family Foundation and Nike. She has notably exhibited at the Tampa Museum of Art, the Orlando Museum of Fine Art, the Asia Contemporary Art Show, Venice Biennale Activation Projects, Yeelen Gallery and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

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