MEET LAURA
Laura Deems is a contemporary abstract artist trained in textile design at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. The foundation of her artistic practice is derived from her formal training dying fabrics, weaving pattern and screen-printing. Laura Deems’ oeuvre has been built with an evolving vocabulary of composition, mark making and color. The creation of pattern, gesture and movement are what drive her works on paper, works on canvas and works with textiles. In Laura’s effort to ‘free the motif from the grid,’ each work is uniquely created as a loose interpretation of pattern.
Laura lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband Cannon and their beloved setter, Polk. Laura’s work has been featured in a number of luxury shelter magazines, designer showhouses and at art gallery installations across the East Coast. Prior to her move to Birmingham, Laura spent time living and working in Charleston and Atlanta.
NOTEWORTHY
Laura Deems studied under artists Lulie Wallace (2015) and Sally King Benedict (2016) while completing her degree at The University of Georgia. Upon graduation, Laura moved to Charleston, where she began her practice full time. In addition to collection drops, noteworthy shows and exhibitions include:
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Leisure Unthreaded Drop, Birmingham, AL
Leisure Unthreaded Collection Preview Show, New York, NY
Elysian Gardens, Arden and White Gallery, New Canaan, CT
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Off Kilter Drop, Birmingham, AL
2 0 2 1
Some Kind Of Connection, Florida Mining Gallery, Jacksonville, FL
Spring Drop, Atlanta, GA
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LD x Bondeye Jewelry, Rappahannock Exchange, Fredericksburg, CA
LD x Albers Drop, Atlanta, GA
LD x JSS Ladies Drop, Atlanta, GA
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Introduction Exhibit, Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Gibbes Museum of Art, Society 1858 Winter Party, Charleston, SC
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LD x Brandshop, Brandshop Traveling Exhibit, NYC, Washington DC, Richmond, Charlottesville, Charlotte, Atlanta
Make A Mark, Meyer Vogl Gallery, Charleston, SC
Cashiers Designer Showhouse, Opening Night Gala, Cashiers, NC
Spoleto Window Partnership, Hampden Clothing, Charleston, SC
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala, New York, New York
2 0 1 7
Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home For The Holidays Showhouse, Atlanta, GA
Southern Style Now, Southern Style Now Showhouse, Savannah, GA
MA Allen Solo Show, MA Allen Interiors, Raleigh, NC
Neiman Marcus Pop-Up Gallery, Neiman Marcus, Atlanta, GA
Charlie Hanavich x Laura Deems, Helen Davis Designs, Atlanta, GA
A'mano Artist Feature, A'mano, Birmingham, AL
BMA Solo Show, BMA At Home, Athens, GA
Raleigh Designer Show House, MA Allen Interiors, Raleigh NC
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Brandshop Spotlight Artist, The English Room, Charlotte, SC
Since her debut in fine art in 2017, Laura Deems has continued to evolve her signature artistic style. The immediacy and freedom of her bold marks against swaths of brilliant hues are the defining language of her oeuvre to date. Her signature overlay marks were introduced in 2018 and remain a key motif across her works on paper and works on canvas. Derived from unconventional painting tools - these overlay marks were made with a screen printing tool called a squeegee. This leading piece of the artist’s vocabulary has direct roots to her textile design training, where screen printing was a particular focus throughout her undergraduate degree.
The years 2019-2020 reflect Laura’s interest and passion for color theory. Over the course of these 2 years, her body of work pushed the boundaries on color, harmony and juxtaposition. The years 2021-2022 saw Laura hone in on a previously seldom used medium - textiles. Returning to her formal training, Laura has spent the last 2.5 years focusing more attention on textile dying and mixed-media compositions.
The 2023 Leisure Unthreaded Collection offers viewers a crescendo of color, textile and signature Laura Deems squeegee marks. Inclusive of works on paper and works on canvas, viewers are invited to explore singular color, engage with the materiality of dyed linen and examine the ways in which the artist pushes beyond the grid.
