Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Evelyn.
Lauren, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Growing up in a multicultural household with a Ghanaian/German immigrant mother, I have traveled to visit family around the world and been exposed to different cultures my entire life. I believe that traveling, experiencing new cultures, and connecting with people different than oneself is rewarding in many ways. For me, it has shaped who I am and the way I think, as well as who I am as an artist. Street portraiture is a passion of mine, as I have always been inspired and moved by Humans of New York. The concept behind my most empowering photography series, “All Mixed Up: Being Neither, Being Both” came to me after hearing a mixed-race woman share her story in a Humans of New York social media post. As a mixed-race woman myself, I have struggled my whole life with self-identity, lack of self-confidence, and the desire to fit in while being labeled as ‘other.’ I never realized how alone I felt in this struggle until hearing this woman speak of similar struggles she has experienced throughout life. Her story gave a voice to the mixed-race experience, which inspired me to seek out other mixed-race people in the Atlanta area to meet with, interview and photograph. The goal of my series was to validate, empower, and share mixed-race stories, as well as raise awareness of them. In today’s society, we are still learning how to respectfully speak about identities that fall outside of our traditional understandings, and I wanted to bring attention to this. I wanted my series to encourage the viewer to look at diversity with more of an open mind and to learn to embrace their own differences.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I photograph people to share their stories. I’ve always been drawn to photographing people because I believe we all have important stories to tell. It’s easy to take a simple photo of someone, but my goal when photographing is to really capture who that person is as an individual. What makes that person unique and important. Humans of New York is my biggest inspiration for that reason. I want my photography to connect people with one another.
When it comes to the style of my photography, I draw inspiration from minimalism. I focus solely on one subject and a simple background; by incorporating vibrant colors with a minimal amount of shape, I aim to draw the viewer in to fully engage with every detail of the subject.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I think the biggest challenge many of us face is struggling to believe in ourselves. When creating new work, it’s challenging enough to come up with a concept (shoutout to creative block!), but then we face the inner struggles within ourselves. Is this concept good enough? Will people understand it? Do I even understand it? As artists, we are our biggest critics.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work hasn’t been in any exhibitions lately, because I’m currently still expanding my portfolio. Once I have a collection I’m happy with, I plan on exhibiting my work as much as I can!
Contact Info:
- Website: laurenevelyn,myportfolio.com
- Phone: 4045199217
- Email: lauren.evelyn@bobcats.gcsu.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laureveee/
- Other: https://laurenevelyn.myportfolio.com/
Image Credit:
Lauren Evelyn
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