Lauren Austin

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Contemporary quilts, Multi-fiber art
2023
Artist's country: United States

Lauren Austin is an African-American quilter with 30+ years of experience making art quilts. She uses woodcut and lithographic print making, fabric dying and painting to make fabric portraits of African-American work and life. Lauren uses colour, 3D sewn sculptural effects, beading and thread painting/sketching to enliven her quilts.

Lauren’s work is in private and public collections in the US and abroad. Lauren’s work explores the relationship of black people to the natural world, Black History, and International Human Rights.

Prior to working in art full time, Lauren was a US diplomat, a civil rights lawyer, and a legal writing professor. Lauren completed community art projects and artistic collaborations with artists in the US, the Bahamas, Kenya, and China. Lauren lives in Maitland, Florida.

Lauren Austin: Quilt Life

Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines

Lauren uses family photos, dyed, printed, and painted fabric to enhance her complex portraits of black life. Lauren uses different methods to add design elements to her work, including raku fired ceramic masks, retro photochemical processes, and lithography to create complex surface design.

Lauren’s art creates visual stories of her family, adventures, and history. For example, the “Birds are my People” series explores her personal relationship with nature – images of leaves, fish and birds surround figures and faces. Lauren’s art communicates her perspective while sharing something beautiful and thought-provoking.