Laura Rokas

Instagram: @laurarokas

Website: http://laurarokas.com

Statement: Laura Rokas (b. 1989, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Canada) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the fluidity of identity through class, gender and the inferred understanding of material hierarchy. Rokas uses drawing, painting, ceramics and textiles to create a dreamlike world where sinister characters and beautiful objects shift effortlessly through dimensions, at once dangerous and playful. Rokas’ dismembered avatars bounce through different mediums and moods, at times powerful and in control and others vulnerable and seeking comfort. Her images are drawn from a personal mythology that is rooted in art history, pop culture and craft, mingling flat forms with highly rendered figures. Patches, both hand sewn and vintage, adorn her works, signaling group affiliations, personal preferences and evoking 90s childhood nostalgia. Having mainly been exposed to folk art while growing up, Rokas has a deep appreciation for handmade objects and a make-do sensibility to art making. A self taught textile artist, these works meld utilitarian craft with her laborious technical fine art skills, retaliating against a culture that praises fast production and low quality over mindful expression.