Lara’s Lab is both a physical space (my studio) and a conceptual entity. All of my work relies on direct or indirect contribution from others, whether it be through the sharing of personal stories or objects that shape the content, or through the wealth of information gathered during extensive research about the project’s topic.

Women have shared their experiences with sexual harassment and discrimination and I’ve made necklaces with the text. I have collected drawings of and stories about childhood homes and made an installation of tiny drawings suspended off wooden blocks with audio of the stories playing. People have collected and given me non-recyclable plastic packaging and I’ve made castings of them for a faux archaeological dig. My current project is a massive (150+ foot wide) embroidery installation that illustrates the daily California COVID-19 death numbers in a way that I hope communicates the statistics in an unusual way that is more impactful and easier to understand than the usual bar or line graph.

I work under the name, Lara’s Lab, to acknowledge and include all the people who generously offer their narratives and insights, as well as the people behind the information I find in my research online.