It all began with a foundry

Who I am

I'm Olivia Paige DeMarco, known as Lala, a sculptor now based in Phoenix. I started working from a studio apartment in Philadelphia in 2019, and moved to Phoenix in 2024 to expand my experience and feed my inspiration.

Why plaster

I grew up around concrete, watching my dad resurface it for a living. Plaster carries some of that same chemistry, but it behaves more like clay. It reminds me most of wet sand at the shoreline, the place where water meets sand and lets you shape something with nothing but your hands and your imagination.

The work

I create full body plaster casts that become sculpture. What started as pieces on canvas has moved fully off it, into three dimensional and four dimensional form. Each cast holds a real moment for a real body, stillness, presence, and the felt experience of being witnessed.

Where it's been

In 2022 I self produced my debut show, comfortably uncomfortable, with a hero sculpture built from shapes of over 50 women. That same year I was invited to perform at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2023 I joined their advisory board and became the headline artist for two of their annual shows.

Why I do it

This work is a healing process, for the people who sit for it and for me. Every session is treated as a small ceremony, mirror work and casting going hand in hand, slowing down to notice what's actually there. My goal now is to bring FORMED by Lala to more cities and eventually build a permanent studio so this practice can keep growing.