We recently had the chance to connect with Loren Siems and have shared our conversation below.
Loren, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I was proud and honored to have my sculpture, Swaddle/Bound, featured as a Case Study piece at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. And having my painting, Unseen Labors of Women, selected for the Big Show at Lawndale Art Center.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My art serves as a visual diary, inviting viewers to engage with the nuanced interplay of feminism, body politics, and metaphor. I adapt the “women’s work” traditions as an empowering form of release, mending and a way of storytelling. All imagery is directly derived from relationships and experiences as a point of departure for a way to visually understand a woman’s view and interaction with the world around her. I express nontraditional beauty by playing on nostalgia for conventional aesthetics and certain ideals of feminine behavior, while urging girls to grow to be strong independent women with a sense of reflection, a respect for our female predecessors, and a mind for changing the future.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Prejudices break the bonds between people, and acceptance/respect restores the bonds.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Beginning in high school art class, I expressed my pain through my artwork, which has evolved through my practice from personal pain to universal connections.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
“Taking the high road,” Sometimes you have to meet people on their level and language to help them understand differing points-of-view. Play their game with their rules to figure out how to improve situations.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Quite my day/survival job! I would dedicate my final 10 years to making art and traveling. 100% of my energy would go to pushing my art career forward without fear of future financial security.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lorensiemsart.com
- Instagram: lorensiems
- Linkedin: lorensiems
Image Credits
Loren Siems
