IULIA OCTAVIA
ARTWORK
maneater
roadkill
foreign body
moss bodies
castings
archive
MANEATER
MANEATER is a simulated rape that challenges ethical and logical boundaries of implied violence.MANEATER is a primordial beast composed of over twenty different species of animals, both prey and predator. Inspired by the visual aesthetics of biblical stories like Noah’s ark and the Leviathan, the work utilizes the destructive nature of an omnipotent being as an allegory to man as aggressors of sexual assault. The beast’s spine consists of three main animals interlaced with each other: cow, bison, and crocodile. In the belly of the beast, an amalgamation of bones pile and spread, evidence of indiscriminate consumption.As viewers look down upon the corpse, trail cameras in the corners of the room capture sporadic images. The viewer, now a game animal, is captured as a trophy; their every move surveyed and tracked by the lenses.In the Observation Room, a set of seats face a monitor. Presented is a video taken from over four hours of body-camera footage, spliced and randomized in five-second clips. The cameraman was given the prompt: act as if you’re hunting men. Four major locations are captured: the bus, the streets, a bathroom counter full of weapons, and the men’s restroom.
ROADKILL
The Steer, 2026
Oil on canvas
36 in. x 48 in.
FOREIGN BODY
Foreign Body, 2025
Oil on panel
11 in. x 14 in.
Foreign Body, 2025
Oil on panel
11 in. x 14 in.
Foreign Body, 2025
Oil on canvas
5 in. x 7 in.
Foreign Body, 2025
Oil on canvas
5 in. x 7 in.
Foreign Body, 2025
Oil on canvas
5 in. x 7 in.
Illustration
Duality, 2019
Oil on canvas
40 in. x 32 in.
The Fool, 2020
Acrylic on toned canvas
12 in. x 9 in.
Frogman, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
12 in. x 9 in.Private collection
Dead Minotaur, 2020
White charcoal pencil, leather on black paper
18 in. x 24 in.
Skull and Daggers, 2019
Lithograph, ink on paper
11 in. x 14 in.
Sun Ray Insomnia, 2020
Screenprint, ink, white ink
Monotype #5
7 in. x 7 in.
MOSS BODIES
Much like the surroundings, it echoes a memory of humanity in a now abandoned place, waiting for time and the elements to chip away slowly at its form. In time, the figures will become part of the surrounding debris, having been experienced by explorers in various stages of their existence and interacted with in whatever way they see fit.
38.026728° N , -117.883653° W, Feb. 2024
Coaldale, Nevada
Bio person, burlap, dehydrated moss, pinecones,
palm fronds, tree bark, artist's bootsStatus:
Stolen to private property
34.94857° N, 116.68442° W, Sept. 2023
Lake Dolores Waterpark, California
Trash person, dehydrated moss,
arm chair, reclaimed fabric from family's furnitureStatus:
Missing
35.11321° N, 111.09202° W, June 2023
Two Guns, Arizona
Bio person, burlap, flowers, dehydrated moss,
pinecones, palm fronds, tree barkStatus:
Missing
35.16110° N, 111.27925° W, June 2023
Twin Arrows, Arizona
Trash person, tree bark,
dehydrated moss, letterStatus:
Missing
34.94818° N, 116.68449° W, March 2023
Lake Dolores Waterpark, California
Trash person, dehydrated moss,
tree bark, melted styrofoam,
dried flowers, hardboardStatus:
Missing during Slipknot music video
Nestled in one of the dilapidated buildings of the Lake Dolores Waterpark, the mossy figure lies peacefully in a bed of growth and flowers. Amongst the rubble and debris, leftover spray paint cans and signs of human touch long since forgotten, it rests with its head looking up at an opening in the roof, watching the sunset every evening.
Calusari, 2022
Weathered pallet wood, tree branches, termites, coffee grounds, wooden fur masks, dehydrated moss, trash person
Dimensions variable
Figure: 77 in. x 21 in. x 27 in.Private collection
Towering over the viewer, this larger than life figure solemnly stands surrounded by an artificial forest of its own design. Hanging from the branches are Calusari masks, calling back to a pagan winter tradition in Romania where the streets are overtaken by a parade of monsters and animals to scare off the evil and bring about abundance and prosperity for the warmer seasons.
The figure, overgrown with moss, holds a MacGyvered woodworking tool and an unfinished mask, pulled from a pile of works in progress at its feet. Culturally, the masks and the war dance they are worn during are only allowed to be made and perfomed respectively by men.
Through exclusion and disconnection, the piece serves as a self-portrait of someone desperately trying to carve a space within their own heritage.
SCULPTURE
PUNCTURE, 2025
Steel, nylon stockings, pleated fabric, pins, bows, audio
The form of the figure is inspired by men's body position during their action of having sex in the porn videos. The female actresses appear in very carefully curated ways to ensure they remain sexy and attractive throughout the videos. This is exemplified through their arched backs, spread legs, breasts on display. The male actors assume hunched positioning: their spines curve and bend forward in the attempt to get as much of themselves into the woman as possible.
The audio pulls from several professional pornographic films, where a childish, teenage schoolgirl, played by adult women, visits a professor at his house for some form of lesson, extra credit, or assignment. These films have amassed over 2 million views, each, with the main audio coming from a film with over 4 million views.
La Mijloc, 2020
Rhyolite, Nevada
Welded steel, sandless grout
36 in. x 24 in. x 24 in.Goldwell Open Air Museum, 2021
CASTINGS
BOIL, 2024
Cast aluminum from melted styrofoam
Lilith, 2024
Cast and welded aluminum
8 in. x 8 in. x 5 in.
Lilith is a reconception of the Garden of Eden and the first temptation of humanity. Lilith and Adam were both created from the same clay at the same time, but parted when Lilith refused to live subserviently to her equal, Adam. In response, God created Eve as a partner to Adam, this time from Adam's rib.
Yet, Eve was later tempted by a serpent to gain wisdom apart from God.
Lilith proposes the possibility that the serpent, commonly believed to be Satan, could have been the fugitive Lilith, imparting the same wisdom that allowed her to break from the bounds of servitude onto Eve, another woman fated to be lesser than Adam. Lilith being created of cast and welded industrial aluminum calls to the coldness and evil projected onto her. In Lilith, a woman’s spine is the allegory for the objectification of the feminine form, stripped of the vulnerability for what she is commonly objectified by. Her objectification borders on the uncanny and inhuman; Lilith twists, the Atlas vertebra and the viewer are suspended in each other’s gaze.
Idly By, 2023
Cast aluminum, fishbone chain, tree root
Dimensions variablePrivate collection
A Binding Oath: The Punk-y Promise, 2020
Cast aluminum, wood, steel chain
21 in. x 11 in. x 3 in.
The yubikiri genman or, the pinky swear, represents a promise or deal made between two individuals at the exchange of vulnerability, as one could break the pinky of the other if this promise is broken. From this sideways position, the stakes and risk of harm are much lower, indicating that the promise is being made without threat and out of an act of loyalty rather than self-preservation.
Guardian, 2019
Welded steel rod, black and white fabric, inscription burned on leather
28 in. x 26 in. x 36 in.
The piece was created as a memorial for the late UNLV professor, Roxy Montoya, who served as a beloved friend and mentor.
Trophy Hunting, 2020
Cast aluminum, wood
11 in. x 14 in.
Skull Pile No. 1, 2022
Cast aluminum
7 in. x 6.5 in. x 5.5 in.
Sicriu, 2021
Weathered pallet wood, Douglas Fir, coffee grounds, mixed media
58 in. x 25 in. x 20 in.
This piece is functional coffee table, fit with a tempered glass top and made from weathered palette wood, resembling a historic coffin. Within this funerary box, there is a corpse packed tightly and uncomfortably in dirt as if the lid caved in from the weight of the earth. Moss and vinery is now growing from this “living corpse” as it is slowly being reclaimed by nature.
The weathered coffin and decomposing form is reminiscent of the first recorded natural burials often practiced in Medieval times. The “dirt” is a mixture of dried and fresh coffee grounds to prevent any insects or bacteria to live inside the table yet still maintain its earthy qualities.
About me
Iulia Octavia is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice consists of sculpture, painting, installation, and non-traditional materials and processes. Octavia's work addresses gendered violence against women through the visual language of animals, Biblical allegory, and the use of surveillance. She creates sociological lures and traps using video, light, and trail cam surveillance, to penetrate the personal space of the viewer. By distorting the bodily qualities of bone, flesh, and form, the work questions the sanctity of self-hood and safety.Octavia enjoys building within her community, most proudly as a co-founder of the Arts Community Coalition Nevada 501(c)(3), Desert Biennial Project, and My Boyfriend Is Out of Town. Her work has been shown in Nevada, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and New York in over 20 exhibitions since 2023. Octavia graduated with her BFA in studio art and is currently an MFA candidate at UNLV, graduating 2027.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Master of Fine Arts
University of Las Vegas, Nevada
May 2027
Bachelor of Fine Arts
University of Las Vegas, Nevada
May 2022
Professional Experience
501(c)3 organization
Arts Community Coalition Nevada (ACCNV)
Co-founder & Officer of Operations
June 2023 - Present
City of Las Vegas Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs
Gallery Installer / Art Handler
September 2024 - Present
Marjorie Barrick Museum
Contract Gallery Installer / Art Handler
March 2024 - August 2024
Private
Contract Fabricator
January 2021 - Present
Freelance
Gallery Handler
August 2021 - Present
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions:
MANEATER
UNLV Grant Hall Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2026
Selected Group:
Clothesline '26
UNR Jot Travis Gallery
Reno, NV
2024
Death to Decorum
UNR Jot Travis Gallery
Reno, NV
2026
Metal Rules
Inhabit Galerie
Coralles, NV
2026
From the Oasis
Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2025
Gravity
Desert Biennial Project
Apex Dry Lake Bed, NV
2025
Clothesline '25
UNR Jot Travis Gallery
Reno, NV
2025
Jester's Gambit
The Holland Project
Reno, NV
2025
Allergic to Ignorance
Your Catalyst Art Gallery
Pahrump, NV
2025
All In
The Holland Project
Reno, NV
2025
Inauditx (unheard)
SPCKRFT
Las Vegas, NV
2025
VESSEL
UNLV Grant Hall Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2024
Clothesline '24
UNR McNamara Hall
Reno, NV
2024
I Need Space to Roam
Left of Center Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2024
Behind the Mask: The Art of Women Welders II
Wagner College
Staten Island, NY
2024
Contemporary Roots: New and Old Traditions
SITE SANTE FE and Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe, NM
2024
The Outside Top
Screaming Demon Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2024
Behind the Mask: The Art of Women Welders
Culture Lab LIC
Long Island City, NY
2024
Cupid's Curse II
Nevada Fine Arts Gallery
Reno, NV
2024
Stone Soup
Desert Biennial Project
Jean Roach Dry Lakebed, NV
2023
OOPS!
UNLV Grant Hall Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2023
Tremendous
City Hall Grand Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2022
BFA Thesis Exhibition
Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2022
Losing My...
Vegas Institute for Contemporary Engagement (online)
Las Vegas, NV
2022
Thoughtfully Myself
UNLV Student Union Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2021
Asbestos Exposure - BFA Midway Exhibition
UNLV Grant Hall Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2021
Mining Our Landscape
Goldwell Open Air Museum (Red Barn Center)
Rhyolite, NV
2021
New Monuments for a Future Las Vegas
Nevada Humanities
Las Vegas, NV
2020
Annual Juried Student Exhibition
Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2019
Seeing With Paint
UNLV Student Union Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
2019
Curatorial & Artist Talks
Curatorial:
Desert Biennial Project – Jean Dry Lake Bed, NV
Flux (2027); Public event consisting of a group of 57 artists.
2027
Desert Biennial Project – Apex Dry Lake Bed, NV
Gravity (2025); Public event consisting of a group of 100+ artists.
2025
Desert Biennial Project – Jean Dry Lake Bed, NV
Stone Soup (2023); Public event consisting of a group of 36 artists.
2023
Artist Talks:
BFA Thesis Exhibition
Marjorie Barrick Museum
Las Vegas, NV
2023
Religion and the Arts
American Academy of Religion
Annual Meeting 2022
Virtual Conference
2022
Workshops
Art Walk
UNLV
Las Vegas, NV
2021-2026
Ana Mendieta
Aluminati x Marjorie Barrick Museum
Las Vegas, NV
2021-2022
Workshops for the Youth and Elderly
Trinity United Methodist Church and NLVCC
Las Vegas, NV
2017-2019
Permanent Collections
Idly By, 2023Private Collection
2023
Seat of the Witching Hour, 2022Private Collection
2022
La Mijloc, 2020Collection of Goldwell Open Air Museum
2021
Publications, Print, & FIlm
Digital Publications:
"Behind the Mask: Women Welders at the Culture Lab LIC"
by Art Spiel
Art Spiel
2024
"Behind the Mask: The Art of Women Who Weld” at Culture Lab LIC Illustrates How Women Are Changing Welding"
by Courtney Lester
International Sculpture Center
2024
"Aluminati: Rekindling a Forgotten Future of Foundry"
by Emily Budd
Couch In The Desert
2023
"In Depth: an Exhibition of Works in Relief"
by D.K. Sole
Couch In The Desert
Print:
2021
"Gravity 2025"
by Desert Biennial Project and ACCNV
2025
“Left of Center Gallery’s ‘I Need Space To Roam’ is a bold showcase of new voices”
by Las Vegas Weekly
2024
“mapping all my relations”
by You are here: the journal of creative geography
The University of Arizona
2024
© Iulia Octavia. All rights reserved.