orlan

Orlan is a French performance artist whose work centers on the body, beauty norms, and the politics of representation. Across performance, video, and photography, she uses her own body as a medium to question how gender, sexuality, and identity are constructed by culture and media.

Her most widely discussed project is The Reincarnation of Saint-Orlan (1990–1993), in which she underwent a sequence of cosmetic surgeries performed by different surgeons. The procedures were staged and filmed as part of the artwork, with the intention of transforming her face and body to imitate archetypes drawn from Western art. The project presents the body as a site of critique, exposing the social and commercial forces that shape ideas of beauty. The work raises ethical questions about surgery, consent, authorship, and the appropriation of female bodies in art.

Since then, Orlan has continued to produce performances, installations, and video works, frequently addressing issues of femininity, sexuality, cultural memory, and the body. Her practice has had a significant influence on contemporary body art and feminist art, provoking debate while remaining a notable reference point in discussions of representation, medical ethics, and art.