Meet Laura Lau Klein

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Lau Klein a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura Lau, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I learned my work ethic from my mother, who learned it from her parents. My maternal grandparents are still in my life, something I am so grateful for! Their love for their work continues to show. My grandfather supported seven children as a carpenter in the Hudson Valley of New York and has built incredible houses. Now, at 96, he is in the wood shop every day, making a new bookshelf for his neighbors or experimenting with scrap wood and epoxy. I love that he continues to explore his craft and that he just doesn’t quit.

He is a big proponent of “use it or lose it” but always encourages rest when needed. This balance is integral to my routine. I love being in the studio, but taking breaks to care for the body is crucial to making my studio practice a lasting relationship. 

My grandmother, who worked, pursued her personal interests, and kept a home with seven kids, doesn’t sit down for over an hour. There is always something to tend to around the house. Her work keeps her mobile, which is fulfilling for her at 96. I admire this greatly in both of them, and witnessing their perseverance has inspired me to cultivate joy in working diligently.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My jewelry is inspired by ephemeral moments in nature and expresses their importance in the world and our daily lives. I create my work by merging recycled metals, repurposed wood, and responsibly harvested plants with fabrication and casting.  By combining carefully considered materials and traditional jewelry techniques, I create adornments that speak to how intertwined we are with our surroundings, the land, and our past. 

In the spring of 2024, I was awarded the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship Award through the Center for Craft in Asheville, NC. This grant is funding the development of my home studio and studio practice. With this opportunity, I will expand production, launch my new website, and participate in residencies. This is an exciting time for me to continue to explore my designs and means of making so stay tuned for lots of new work!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

My journey has been shaped by my willingness to know myself. This willingness has shown up in learning about my capabilities and adventurousness and meeting myself with curiosity. Any recommendation I give below is a working practice that helps me daily! These practices have changed my life, and they could help others.

On my journey, I have learned a lot about my abilities, that they are vast, and I have to be willing to try. I often hear folks saying they “just aren’t artistic.” This is society doing our creative impulses a disservice by reserving art for the few and the talented. I believe talent is a myth, and creativity is for everybody. It takes bravery, persistence, and a willingness to fail to be creative; it isn’t something you’re just born with. To those just starting, you’re already doing it! Try shifting the mental narrative of “I can’t” to “Why not try?”

My adventurousness has led me to many introductory workshops, learning spaces, and self-teaching. This willingness to try new things showed me possibilities for mixing media. My work would not be as exploratory if it weren’t for these experiences. I encourage folks to say yes to a thread of interest, even if, logically, it doesn’t make sense or you can’t yet see where it is leading.

My curiosity continually molds my work as an artist. Society encourages us to simplify our passions into digestible products. Our dimensionality as humans is what makes us and our journey so unique! Deciding not to limit my creative expression has been a great tool of self-acceptance. I encourage those just starting to meet themselves and their passions with curiosity.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I live in a rapidly growing city where it is hard to find affordable studio space. This challenge keeps my setup for making simple and reminds me to start where I am with what I’ve got. There are always more tools to buy or bigger studios to have, but the most essential tools are the ones you have, and the best studio is the one you can afford.
To combat this, I am working simply and effectively with what is accessible. I focus on building a creative community to share my resources with others and ask for help when needed. I keep making work the priority, and however that comes to be is enough.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lauralauklein

Image Credits

Headshot – Rita Kovtun
Images of Work – shot by the artist