Leila Anderson

Leila Anderson

Course
DAS Theatre
Class
2016

Leila Anderson (1984; Cape Town, South Africa) studied Theatre & Performance at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 2006. Since then, Anderson has moved between theatre and fine art, making visual, visceral performance and live installation works in galleries, theatres and public space.

“Versatile forms, absorbing subject matter and direct communication with viewers: these things are important to me. I am intrigued by the possibilities of live art in public space: its inclusive and democratizing ability to create temporary audiences – an effect that seems particularly valuable in the complex society of South Africa.

In addition to my solo work, I work in partnership with Dutch installation artist Stan Wannet as the artist duo ‘Common Sense’.  Building detailed live installations composed of diverse media, we work with the pitfalls of human order and reason: absurdity, imperfection and irrationality. In the last three years, Common Sense has participated in several international AiR programmes, in the Netherlands and China, and made new works in diverse spaces, including Stedlijk Museum ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL), DordtYart Centre for Contemporary Art (NL), Infecting the City Public Arts Festival (ZA) and Commune.1 Gallery (ZA). 

Concurrent to my work as a live artist, I lecture part-time in the University of Cape Town’s Drama Department. For the last two years, I have used the pedagogical role to investigate the use of bodies in performance and their diverse reckonings with race, culture, sex and gender.”

For more information go to www.leilaanderson.com and www.commonsense.stanwannet.com

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