LAURIE LEA
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ARTIST BIO & STATEMENT
Laurie Lea is a New York-based visual artist whose work explores the dynamic relationship between light and form—how they influence each other visually, psychologically, and symbolically. She employs artificial light as a central element, using it to reveal the unseen realities beneath surface appearances and to evoke the spiritual dimension that gives life meaning. Through the interplay of light and structure, Lea examines human existence both in its intangible essence and its observable manifestations.
Lea’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and alternative spaces across the U.S. and internationally, including Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, Israel, Africa, and Europe. As a member of the Fulton County Arts Council in Atlanta, GA, she played a key role in drafting the city’s original Public Arts Ordinance. She has received numerous awards, grants, and residencies, including the Georgia Arts Council Purchase Award and funding from institutions such as The Brooklyn Arts Council, Artists Grants/Artists Space, the New York Council on the Arts, Southern Arts, and the Arts Council of Great Britain.
Her work is held in major collections worldwide, including the MoMA Archives (New York City), the Museum of Robins Center for Peace (Tel Aviv, Israel), Walsall Museum & Art Gallery (Walsall, England), and the Georgia Arts Council State Art Collection (Atlanta, GA).
Lea’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and alternative spaces across the U.S. and internationally, including Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, Israel, Africa, and Europe. As a member of the Fulton County Arts Council in Atlanta, GA, she played a key role in drafting the city’s original Public Arts Ordinance. She has received numerous awards, grants, and residencies, including the Georgia Arts Council Purchase Award and funding from institutions such as The Brooklyn Arts Council, Artists Grants/Artists Space, the New York Council on the Arts, Southern Arts, and the Arts Council of Great Britain.
Her work is held in major collections worldwide, including the MoMA Archives (New York City), the Museum of Robins Center for Peace (Tel Aviv, Israel), Walsall Museum & Art Gallery (Walsall, England), and the Georgia Arts Council State Art Collection (Atlanta, GA).
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Illumination, derived from artificial sources, serves not only to reveal hidden depths beneath surfaces but also as a bridge to the spiritual, infusing life with meaning. Through the interplay of light and structure, Lea explores the complexities of human existence, navigating the boundaries between the visible and the unseen. Inspired by the biblical phrase, "You are the light of the world," Lea channels divine essence into her work, making light a tangible presence. In her installation City on a Hill, she documents its transformation under shifting outdoor lighting conditions, seamlessly adapting glass forms onto interior bases. By integrating neon light, glass, wood, and metal, she creates a dynamic contrast between earthly solidity and the ethereal nature of light. As light filters through the translucent forms, it sanctifies the empty spaces within. The thickness and texture of the glass shape the neon’s delicate glow, while the light itself transforms the glass in unexpected ways, unveiling new dimensions of perception.
Healing Campaign, 2020
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