Artist Statement

I have always been fascinated by the complexity of the human emotion, our mental health and psychology, and our vast range of expression and the identity. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health but history has tended to ignore it. If my back is hurting, I see a doctor. If my emotions are troubling me, who do I see? All too often our mental health and how we care for it is seen as a weakness, often overlooked, unaddressed, and we’re left with the thought that something is wrong with us.

Considering current world events, political, both foreign and domestic, our identities and beliefs in question, our leaders telling us who we are and who we need to be, and we’re living through a pandemic and with the ongoing damage to our planet, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, stressed and in a constant state of uncertainty, fear and limbo. In today’s society, our mental health is strained and the struggles of human emotions are visible. Only recently are we bringing these discussions of our psychological well being and working to remove the stigma of it as a taboo subject. As a result of classes, seminars, teaching, therapy, books, podcasts, films, tv shows, and art, the subject is now open for discussion, and as a result it is no longer becoming viewed as a weakness to seek help.

With acrylic paints on canvas, I apply my long-standing instinct for shape, form and color to my paintings in order to create work that is open, positive, and accepting of the subject of mental health. With their crisp and sharp geometric shapes, squares, angles and line work, the pieces express movement and direction. Mixed with the sprays, textures and layers of paint, the pieces reflect a myriad of emotions, feelings, memories, personality, psychology, and emotions related to our identities. The pieces provoke a natural emotional response from the viewer due to the way they are able to interpret and experience the work and how they relate to it.

Since completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of the West of England, UK, Lauren Hunter has been developing her unique artistic style and direction while living and working in both New York City and Austin, Texas. Lauren lives and works from her home studio in Austin with her beloved dog, Ruby.