Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Hua.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Thank you for having me. My journey into the art world has been somewhat unconventional. Before becoming a professional artist, I spent many years working as a Registered Nurse. Creativity had always been a part of my life, participating in county fairs and winning several awards as well as filling several pocket sketchbooks. However, as is often the case, I chose a more practical and predictable career path.
Years later, during a particularly challenging period in my life, I found myself searching for a sense of balance and renewal. I returned to painting, initially as a personal practice rather than a professional pursuit. What began as a quiet refuge soon evolved into something much more significant. I became deeply immersed in the creative process, and before long, our home was filled with paintings. Art offered not only a means of expression, but also a way to reconnect with myself and find beauty in everyday life.
A pivotal moment came when Kathleen, the owner of Starfish Home Staging, visited our home for a consultation and noticed my work. She asked who the artist was, and when I told her the paintings were mine, she expressed an immediate interest in working together. Her enthusiasm gave me the confidence to consider that my work might resonate beyond my own walls.
From there, opportunities began to unfold. I started receiving commissions, and soon afterward my work was accepted into several galleries and exhibitions throughout Austin. What began as a deeply personal creative practice gradually developed into a professional artistic career.
Looking back, the path was far from linear, but I believe that has enriched my perspective as an artist. Every chapter—from healthcare to the studio—has informed the way I see the world and the stories I choose to tell through my work. I feel incredibly fortunate to spend my days pursuing a passion that has always been quietly waiting in the background, ready to take center stage.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Perhaps someone, somewhere out there has a perfectly sanguine and linear upward trending artist journey paved with opportunities and recognition every step of the way, but I personally have never met them.
Art is anything but predictable. In my past life, I would put in my hours and knew that I would receive a paycheck every two weeks in return. You put in the work and you know receive exactly what you put in. There are times when you have a show and multiple commissions lined up and then the next month your schedule is crammed packed full of nothing. It is an act of perseverance, because you can put hours, weeks and burn every ounce of brain power into trying to further your career and see no results for your efforts. It can be frustrating and disheartening, constantly questioning if you are doing something wrong or if you art simply isn’t good enough.
Whenever I find myself discouraged, I try to remember that every creative journey is built one step at a time. Progress isn’t always obvious, but every hour spent creating contributes to growth in some way. Every challenge, every abandoned idea, and every finished piece contributes to the development of the work. Progress may be incremental or transformative, but it is always occurring. That belief—that there is something to learn from every experience—is what keeps me moving forward through the challenges of being an artist.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an abstract expressionist painter who uses art as a way to blend my American upbringing with my Asian heritage. Carrying her heritage to the canvas as the subject, my pieces are free flowing, with both Japanese and Chinese influences in the brush strokes and compositions. Yet they deviate from the traditional, structured calligraphy lines with bold textures and metallic accents that are unapologetically independent and self assured.
What people tend to be drawn to, and have commented on, is my use of texture. I love the tactile nature of textures, so I use bold applications of modeling paste and mixed media to add dimension to my pieces. And while I typically use softer, neutral colors, my signature is using pops of metallics, whether in paint or gold and silver foil. It adds a tasteful, eye-catching element to the elegant design. Not meant to shock and awe, but to give the viewer a calm, muted joy.
I think what I’m most proud of is that even though I diverged from the stereotypical life path, I still try to honor where I came from. As an Asian American woman, I use art as a way to blend my American upbringing with my Asian heritage. I don’t think people outside of Texas understand how welcoming and multicultural Texas is. With my East meets West painting style, I give homage to the place I’ve truly been able to flourish.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I feel like creating of art is one of the few area where you can take huge risks without suffering consequences. You want to try a new medium? Try it. You want to throw a paint can at your portrait? Could be cool. You feel compelled to create painting using fly feces? It’ll sell for thousands of dollars. John Knuth did just that by creating abstract paintings using thousands of live houseflies.
What I’m saying is, the worst thing that will happen is you don’t like it, or it doesn’t go anywhere. Even if if you absolutely hate it, you’ve just gained valuable lessons you can only acquire through experience.
Ultimately, risks expand an artist’s creative vocabulary. Even when a particular project goes nowhere, the techniques, observations, and discoveries made along the way remain available for future work. Nothing is truly wasted. Today’s failed experiment may become tomorrow’s solution to an entirely different artistic problem.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurenhua.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abstractwren
- Other: https://linktr.ee/laurenhua?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=04f2aa5f-ca69-464c-9e2b-ecacf384aabc
