Lauren's work is influenced by dreams, mythology, death, comics, love, sex, psychedelia, animation and their Asian-American heritage. This half-humanoid, half-centipede character visually encapsulates the feeling of liminality and owning the uneasy, mix that is many people.
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Larger scale is actually easier to freehand because there is more room for error. It's a whole body thing.-Lauren YS
"No projections, no stenciling and it's wildly beautiful to witness."
- Brian Addison
"When I first picked up spray paint, I felt extremely unwieldy. I painted my first walls with both spray and brush, unwilling to give up the control that a brush gave me. I decided to put away the brush for an entire year and see what would happen. In forcing myself to commit to spray paint, I advanced faster, although I painted a lot of really bad work. That experimental phase was necessary in becoming familiar with the medium that I now love so much. If I had any advice to give, it would be to throw yourself in the deep end." - Lauren YS (Canvas Rebel)
"GÄ“n" (Roots)
Returning to Denver brought me a vision of my mother, and all the ways she encapsulates the spirit of adventure, generosity, boundless love, teamwork and self-sufficience: tenets that also describe my vision of the west, as well as the spirit of the mural world. This character also echoes elements of Guanyin, a thousand-armed Asian deity who is called upon in times of uncertainty- and who shifts genders throughout the centuries.
"Claim the thing you are and make it cool" Lauren YS
The artist talks a lot about being in a liminal state. The in-between. They are not Chinese enough to be Chinese and not white enough to be white. They proudly identify as Asian-American. As a third generation Chinese person, they have focused a lot on mythology to compensate for her 'American-ness'.
"Our purpose as muralists is to bring beauty to the world and limit people's suffering. Sometimes walking past a mural is the best thing that happened to that person that day."-Lauren YS
Lauren YS is a scholar, painter and a muralist. When I showed my son their mural from a recent trip to Puerto Rico, he knew the work immediately. He pulled out this card from Magic the Gathering that Lauren YS illustrated. Their style is definitely consistent and identifiable! Artistic consistency is about creating a recognizable and cohesive body of work that reflects the artist's dedication, enhances their skills, and builds strong trust with their audience.
Noodle Time, 2020
'Noodle Time' (2020) is more than just a whimsical title - it's a celebration of Asian cultural identity through Lauren's distinctive psychedelic lens. The piece reflects their signature style of blending traditional Asian imagery with contemporary surrealism. Through their unique illustrative approach, Lauren transforms a simple, everyday element of Asian cuisine into a dreamlike exploration of cultural heritage and modern identity.
Say
Rosie the Revelator
'Rosie the Revelator' (2019) offers a fascinating reimagining of the iconic Rosie the Riveter image. In Lauren's interpretation, they infuse their Asian-American perspective into this symbol of American strength and resilience. The artwork serves as a powerful statement about representation and identity in American culture, challenging traditional narratives while celebrating the intersection of Asian and American identities.
- How do you see your own cultural identity reflected in or challenged by public art?
- Lauren YS, a painter, talks about forcing herself through the learning curve of working with spray paint, making a lot of bad art and eventually getting her footing. When have you experienced this necessary persistence? Did it pay off? How did it feel?
- What colors, lines and themes do you see running through Lauren YS' work? Could you recognize it if you came across it again?
Do
I have always felt a sense of liminality. My experience is not to be compared to Lauren YS but I think we all may have experienced the sense of being in-between at some point in our lives. The following chart summarizes the different dimensions and subjects of liminal experiences, and also provides the main characteristics and key examples of each category.
- Try playing with virtual spray paint with the Street Art Game on the Tate website. Now imagine the feeling of creating on a large outdoor space, yikes!
- Try something new and challenging. Keep at it until you become proficient.
- Learn more about artistic consistency.
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About the Artist: Lauren YS
Lauren YS is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work is influenced by multiple stages of focus, both geographically and in practice. Carrying a B.A. in English and Fine Art from Stanford University, Lauren applies their dynamic bouts in academics, literature, illustration, comics and animation to their role the urban art sphere as a queer Asian-American femme with a deep passion for visual storytelling. Their signature style of high-chroma design elements interwoven with dynamic portraiture creates lush, florid pictorial portals to worlds that are as just as they are visually captivating.
Lauren’s work seeks to bring an element of the fantastical and narrative fluidity to the dignity of their characters’ person-hoods, with a specific passion for creating space for queer and mixed-race stories. From large scale murals to multi-layered works on canvas, Lauren’s work draws inspiration from queer worlds, non-binary identities, mythology, dreams, psychedelia, animation, cybernetic organisms, travel, nature, human dignity, metaphysical wonderings and their mixed Asian-American heritage. Lauren’s vision encapsulates the lifetime search for identity and self-hood, a love of local myth, and the constant pursuit of promoting conversations about selfhood and just futures.
​Wynwood Walls, Interview with Junior High Los Angeles, Own a print!
​laurenys.com | Instagram | Facebook | Store​
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