Bio

Lauren Manninen is an emerging Iowan artist currently based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her primary medium is acrylics and ink, and her work blends bold colors and mark-making to create a harmonized, centered whole. She does both original and commissioned work.

Lauren received her BFA in Fine Arts Studio with an Emphasis in Painting from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2014. During her studies, she participated in a study abroad program at Osaka University of Arts in Japan, where she took a variety of courses. In 2010, Lauren was recognized as an Iowa All-State Artist Recipient.

Lauren’s work has been featured in group exhibitions and public work around Eastern Iowa and the Twin Cities area. She has completed two public art murals for the City of Cedar Rapids and designed and coordinated the interior murals at the Collins Community Credit Union.

In addition to public art projects and group exhibitions, Lauren has participated in a number of juried markets, including the Stone Arch Bridge Art Festival in Minneapolis, and the Iowa Fine Art Council’s Thieves Market in Iowa City.

Lauren has been teaching art since 2014, and is currently the Program Director at the non-profit, Eastern Iowa Arts Academy. She has taught a wide variety of classes to youth and adult students, including Acrylic Painting, Japanese Paper Marbling, Mixed Media, Bookbinding, and Needle Felting. Through her artwork and teaching, Lauren seeks to inspire curiosity, creativity, and joy in others.

Artist Statement

I am passionate about the meditative act of making. While I have explored a variety of mediums such as fiber art, printmaking, and woodworking, it is the conversation I have with the canvas that leaves me feeling invigorated and endlessly curious about where the brush will lead me next.

My current body of work is inspired by themes surrounding weather, erosion, and gravity. I am particularly influenced by the wear marks found on Japanese suiseki, or scholar’s stones, which have been shaped and marked by natural elements over time. Through my art, I aim to capture the essence of these markings and the way in which they reflect the passage of time and the effects of natural forces.

Informed by my love for female-made abstract expressionism, Zen Buddhist practice, and the time I spent studying art in Japan, I strive to capture the present moment of creation and the connection I have with the canvas. Each stroke is a response to the marks that came before it, and my aim is to invite the viewer to join me in this dialogue and explore the possibilities that emerge from the interplay between the artist and the canvas.