Profile: Laila Gohar

Laila Gohar makes art out of everyday rituals and infuses them with humor. Her work is cheerfully disarming and she doesn’t take herself too seriously in the process.

Gohar’s medium is food. Food is not the point of her work, it is how she expresses herself and transforms a space to make her art become the centerpiece of connection. Gohar’s installations, from swan meringues to tiered sausage cakes, can be found at events for fashion houses, galleries, and major brands - spaces that are inherently intimidating vs. inviting. Gohar’s art is as an instant icebreaker, causing guests to engage with the food and each other with childlike playfulness (“How do we eat that?” ,“Can we break it?”).

Gohar grew up in Egypt and moved to the States to study, settling in NYC. She first started a catering business and then shifted into more experiential work, finding success with installations at events for major brands. After the pandemic slowdown, Gohar launched Gohar World with her sister offering surrealist housewares to further celebrate the beauty and ritual of hosting with a strong dash of humor and ease (think baguette bags and chandeliers for eggs).

Gohar’s practice and world are continuing to grow with a column for the Financial Times, collaboration with Hay, and an exhibition earlier this year, “Romance in the Butcher Shop” at Demisch Danat gallery in NYC. If there is something that Gohar has perfected in her more than a decade of work, it is that she cares about the beauty of the small moments, creating comfort in the uncomfortable, and having fun while doing it.