JULI BALLA
In her latest collection, Persona Non Grata, Juli has created personalities without faces. By removing these features she draws our attention to how some choose to style themselves in a way that makes them stand out or blend in. Each choice an individual makes on how they present themselves invites another’s judgement to pigeonhole them. Juli cites, “I have created personalities by combining certain hairstyles and accessories. You look at these assemblages and they become someone you know or someone you’ve seen.”
This body of work investigates how little is required to define individuals and the shifting concept of personal identity. Juli reasons, “Whether we like it or not, we are frequently judged by our outward appearances; the hairstyle we favour, the sunglasses we choose or the clothing style we adopt. In this work I have removed the human element and let the outward accessories speak for themselves.”
