LALA—Lacey And Layla Art—is the collaborative practice of public artists Lacey Jane Wilburn and Layla Folkmann. For more than 16 years, the duo have created immersive public artworks on a soaring scale with social engagement and community collaboration at its core.
Known visually for their high impact realism, saturated urban colour fields, and luminous painting techniques, LALA works bring technical mastery to urban streetscapes, transforming multi-story façades, sprawling underpasses, grain silos, and streetscapes into striking landmarks. With over 300 urban installations all across Canada, and internationally in Iceland, France, and Uganda, the duo is highly regarded as one of Canada’s premier urban art collaborations. Major commissions include the Rogers Place Arena LRT pillar in Edmonton (Pillars of the Community, 2016), Calgary’s 7,000-square-foot Brentwood Underpass (Brentwood welcomes you, 2024), and the towering five-storey “Popsilo” mural in rural Ontario (Notre jeunesse, notre future, 2017). Working exclusively as a synchronized duo, they have produced over 250 murals all across Canada, from an over 4,000 square foot farm silo in the Ontario countryside to the notable Rogers Place hockey arena in downtown Edmonton. Internationally, they have painted in Honduras, France, and Northern Uganda where they volunteered with an orphanage and an arts centre for the reintegration of former child soldiers. After over a decade of professional collaboration, Lacey and Layla have forged a notable career with a specialization in monumental public art. They have and continue to work with a number of influential businesses such as Microsoft, Absolut Vodka, Simons, and Yves St. Laurent. They have collaborated with organizations such as MURAL Montreal, MU, stART Up Toronto, Mural Routes, as well as multiple other arts councils, arts organizations, and festivals.
Specializing in the use of traditional applications of brush and acrylic paint, Lacey & Layla focus on the creation of relevant and contemporary portraiture and vivid depictions of real people from diverse and local populations. Community engagement and interaction is a point of both pride and inspiration for Lacey & Layla. They believe that the creation of successful public art starts by building palpable relationships with local populations. LALA’s work is visually defined by their monumental realism painted exclusively by brush, retaining the marks and movements of the artists in all their subjects, from portraits to nature and architectural design. Their career is complemented by a lifelong commitment to the art of painting. Spanning four art universities across both Canada and France, the artists both boast a BFA with Great Distinction from Concordia University (2016) complemented by a MFA with Great Distinction from Emily Carr University (Wilburn, 2022). Their work has been recognized with over $500,000 in numerous grants and public awards, including the Yves Gaucher Prize (2016) and the Edmonton Trust Fund Award (2021). Defined by their mastery of realism and luminous colour harmonies, LALA’s murals electrify urban environments, creating new cultural landmarks built around people, place and a sense of belonging.
