Laia Abril


Laia Abril is a Catalan artist whose work relates to bio-politics, grief and women's rights. Her books include The Epilogue, which documents the indirect victims of eating disorders; and a long-term project A History of Misogyny which includes On Abortion, about the repercussions of abortion controls in many cultures; and On Rape about gender-based stereotypes and myths, as well as the failing structures of law and order, that perpetuate rape culture.
On Abortion won the Photobook of the Year award at the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards. In 2018, she was awarded the Tim Hetherington Trust's Visionary Award to work on On Rape. For a History Of Misogyny, in 2019 she was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's Hood Medal and in 2020 she was awarded the Paul Huf Award from Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. In 2023, she won the from Spain's Ministry of Culture.
WWW laiaabril.com𝕏 laiaabril

Life and work

Abril was born in 1986 in Barcelona, Spain. She gained a degree in journalism in Barcelona. She moved to New York City to study photography at the International Center of Photography. In 2009 she enrolled at Fabrica research centre, the artist residency of Benetton in Italy, where she worked as a staff photographer and consultant photo editor at Colors magazine for five years.
Since 2010, Abril worked on various projects exploring the subject of eating disorders: A Bad Day, a short film about a young girl struggling with bulimia; Thinspiration, which explores the use of photography in pro-ana websites; and The Epilogue, documenting the indirect victims of eating disorders, through the story of the Robinson family and the aftermath of the death of Cammy Robinson to bulimia. Critic Sean O'Hagan, wrote in The Guardian, that The Epilogue "... is a sombre and affecting photobook... dense and rewarding... At times, it makes for a painful read. From time to time, I had to put it down, take a breather. But I kept going back."
Her long-term project A History of Misogyny includes Chapter One: On Abortion, about the repercussions of abortion controls in many different cultures; and Chapter Two: On Rape: and Institutional Failure, "a visualisation of the origin of gender-based stereotypes and myths, as well as the failing structures of law and order, that continue to perpetuate rape culture." On Rape was informed by the gang-rape of an 18-year old woman in Spain in 2016 where the perpetrators were charged with the lesser offence of 'sexual abuse' due to lack of evidence of violence. This case led to Spain's #MeToo movement. On Rape was published as a book by Dewi Lewis.

Publications

Books by Abril

  • Thinspiration. Self-published zine, 2012. Designed in collaboration with art director Ramon Pez and Guillermo Brotons.
  • Tediousphilia. Lausanne: Musée de l'Élysée, 2014.. Designed in collaboration with art director Pez.
  • The Epilogue. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2014.. Designed in collaboration with art director Pez.
  • Lobismuller. Mexico City; Barcelona: Editorial RM, 2016.. With a text by Abril and designed in collaboration with art director Pez.
  • A History of Misogyny: Chapter One: On Abortion. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2018..
  • A History of Misogyny: Chapter Two: On Rape: and Institutional Failure. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2022..
  • On Mass Hysteria. Dewi Lewis, 2024..
  • Leer las imágenes. Revista 5W, 2024.. Spanish. Co-authored with Santi Palacios and with illustrator Cinta Fosch.

Catalogues and publications with others

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions or exhibitions during festivals

Awards

Collections

Abril's work is held in the following public collection: