Laurynn Smith
Artist's Bio
Laurynn Smith is an emerging multidisciplinary artist from Guelph, Ontario, traditionally the land of the Attawandaron, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee people, and is currently residing in Victoria, BC on the unceded land of Lekwungen people. She works predominantly with photography, drawing, performance, and sculpture. Her practice explores the body, memory, tenderness, and emotional weight, often focusing on intimate details. She uses a poetic, lens-based approach to examine themes of grief, connection, and vulnerability. Laurynn is currently completing her BFA in Visual Arts at the University of Victoria.
Artist's Statment
My work is rooted in memory, grief, intimacy, and connection. I am drawn to the body, often using my own as the subject, as a way to explore difficult emotions with honesty and vulnerability. I gravitate toward small gestures and quiet details. These moments feel more truthful and relatable. These subtle traces feel like small openings into a person’s inner world, and they often convey what is difficult to put into words.
I work primarily with lens-based media such as photography, 35mm film, and video, using a poetic, cinematic approach to linger on the intimate and the overlooked. Drawing is also an important part of my practice, grounding me and providing form to my thoughts through line, texture, and repetition. When the project requires it, I work sculpturally with textiles, clay, and natural materials to give emotion a more physical presence. Across all mediums, I aim to create work that offers a sense of slowness, tenderness, and permission to feel.
Connection is at the heart of my work, focusing on connection to the body, to others, and to the emotional weight carried through everyday life. I hope my work allows viewers to recognize pieces of themselves in these small, vulnerable moments, and to feel the quiet human connection that underlies our entire experience.