Lauren YS is a Bay Area artist whose work is influenced by multiple stages of focus, both geographically and in practice. With dynamic bouts in academics, literature and writing, teaching, illustration, and animation leading up to her arrival in the urban art sphere, the influences of these phases of her own career add up to a robust style of murals and fine art.
Since graduating, Lauren has dedicated herself to creating large-scale works of public art that aim to bring a sense of vibrancy and wonder to every community she approaches, creating and populating a misfit wonder-land in which imaginary heroines can address the absurdities of reality in the confines of a page or a wall. Influenced by dreams, mythology, death, comics, love, sex, psychedelia, animation, nostalgia, and her Asian-American heritage, Lauren’s work is often geared towards pushing a narrative undertone and always has a fantastical aesthetic.
A substantial part of her creative process lies in developing a relationship with the surface to be painted as well as with the people who will interact daily with the mural. In deciding the theme and elements of a new mural, Lauren is always attentive to the singularities of the surface and how they can be used to bring the best in the work. In the past few years the importance the feminist aspect of Lauren´s work has become more evident: by portraying different types of powerful female characters in her creations, Lauren seeks to contribute positively to that narrative during a time when the climate for gender politics is escalating quickly. Lauren YS is also concerned with the people and social dynamics surrounding the artwork, taking into consideration the dialog between her art and the community around it.
