Lauren Catarinae

B.F.A. Painting

I have always enjoyed drawing creatures because it was fascinating to discover a new possibility. My work revolves around fictional creatures, most often in speculative biology, but

I find fantastic designs to be just as fun. I limit the number of colors in my paintings because it helps me create striking compositions and convey emotion.

When I rediscovered my love for the ancient world, it changed the way I design and world-build creatures. Everything from a simple handprint in a cave to stone tools fascinates me. I feel a connection with the people who made them, whether it was a human or a human relative. I see extinct animals as I see animals of today. There is always more to learn about them, and that makes the possibilities of design and world-building almost endless. My fascination with the ancient world is reflected in my work, even though I don't create human or earth-like creatures. All this research is only a supplement, and applying it to a fictional setting makes the creation process more fun. The idea is not to reflect our own world but to add relatability while retaining that sense of strangeness.

The exhibition is an immersive display of a character's living space in a fictional world as he travels with his two companions. He documents people and animals in art and photographs and collects mementos. The corkboards showcase his studies of some animals he encountered, among other things, including small ink sketches and photographs he printed. It includes various art and craft materials and tools he uses for creating charms and stone tools. He's reusing boxes and crates for storage taken from various businesses he visited that had spare containers. The display aims to imply a culmination of time in a single quiet moment during someone's journey of discovery.