Laura Clay Art

Controlled Chaos

Words Christopher Ferguson | Photos Parker Thornton

A Mexican-American artist explores the plurality of her bicultural identity.

Born in the United States to Mexican parents, traveling back and forth between the countries became customary, changing schools as often as she changed grades. Laura Clay’s love for art grew as a constant amidst the perpetual change. 

Her bicultural upbringing led her to an examination of identity in her thesis work at the National Art School in Sydney, where Laura earned her Master of Fine Arts in 2020, before arriving in Austin later that same year. “How do we find balance, having all these different selves we juggle?” she asks, rhetorically. “That’s a major theme in my work. We never let loose of each identity we adopt, and we are always aspiring to find balance.”

Characterized by a vibrant use of acrylics, expressive brushstrokes, and intricate line work, her art blends the vivid colors of Mexican folk traditions with the structured forms of American modernism, creating a unique fusion that has caught the attention of many.

Sometimes art can seem like chaos, but there is an effort on my part to have controlled chaos.” – Laura Clay

Her paintings explore the fluidity of identity, capturing a dynamic interplay between organic shapes and geometric patterns. This duality in her work symbolizes the space between cultures, embodying memories of her travels and an ongoing dialogue with her heritage.

Her abstract pieces all aspire for balance within a visual narrative that is intended to be both deeply personal and universally relatable. They offer a window into the complexity and beauty of navigating a life rich with multiple cultural influences, resonant for those who see themselves in her explorations of identity and belonging.

Her current series, “In Bloom,” is a celebration of life in a variety of precise pen and ink drawings featuring flowers blooming from the necks of Dia de los Muertos-themed skeletal figures. Inspired by the human experience of loss and rebirth, Laura again taps into her transient childhood, where schools and friendships would come and go and the memory of others in her life she has lost over time. “Drawing is a way I honor the tradition of their lives,” Laura explains. “It’s a form of processing, just like art itself.”

Contact:
lauraclayart.com
@lauraclayart