A German-born, international, multidisciplinary artist and community activist, Lilli Muller resides in Los Angeles, California, where she continues to create compelling artworks that resonate internationally. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious "Arts Incubator Humanitarian Award" from the City of LA and Art Share LA for her contributions to the arts community as well as the "Los Angeles City Resolution Award" recognizing her contribution to the Arts and Culture of Downtown Los Angeles as a citizen of the Downtown LA Arts District by the City of Los Angeles.
From a young age, Lilli demonstrated a natural talent for art, excelling as one of the top artists in her high school. Influenced by the rich history and artistic traditions of Europe, particularly the Middle Age and Renaissance art, she developed a keen eye for detail and storytelling. Her artistic journey led her on a cross-country adventure throughout the US, ultimately settling in Southern California in 1980.
Photo by Lilli Muller, Chelsea, NYC, 2009
Lilli's artistic vision took a significant turn in 1980 when she discovered plaster casting, allowing her to transform her 2-dimensional drawings into intricate 3-dimensional sculptures. However, the real turning point in her career came when she met her mentor, Louise Bourgeois, in 1982. Their tea times at Bourgeois' house in Chelsea, NYC, evolved into a lifetime of mentorship, personal conversations, and discussions about Lilli's artistic evolution, lasting until Bourgeois' passing. Inspired by Louise’s mentorship and feedback, Lilli began to explore new creative avenues, leading to the development of her ongoing “Mandala Project Series.”
“My time with Louise inspired me to expand my artistic vision beyond myself to embark on a new creative journey, seeking an infinite sculpture that continuously changes, evolves, and still remains timeless. The metamorphosis of my ongoing “Mandala Project Series” is closing in on that vision. Now it is clear to me that I am doing exactly what I was always meant to do.”
Today, Lilli is renowned for her signature performances, installations, and images created through figurative body-casting in plaster/fiberglass. Her work addresses social issues, humanitarian causes, and political turmoil, aiming to stimulate conversations and promote understanding within the global community. Her large-scale conceptual installations often include multiple elements such as drawing, painting, mixed-media sculpture, photography, performance art, and video, with layered stories and narratives essential to her work.
Lilli's work often involves public participation, creating intimate and thought-provoking experiences that resonate with audiences worldwide. Through her ongoing internationally exhibited works, she continues to follow her personal goal of creating an ever-morphing body of work that changes over time yet maintains constant validity.
“Through my ongoing internationally exhibited works, “The Mandala Project Series,” I am continuing to follow my own personal goal to create an ever-morphing body of work that changes over time and yet maintains constant validity.”