KERIDWEN CORNELIUS 2023-10-19 03:21:11
Lauren Lee’s murals are meant to be “a gift to the public,” the artist says. And what she bestows is a new way of seeing Arizona’s flora and fauna. Her fuchsia cactus flowers, turquoise birds, purple prickly pears and sunset-pink monsoons transport the vibrant creative energy of the Sonoran Desert to the streets of metro Phoenix. The Surprise resident previously suffered from agoraphobia, and because she couldn’t leave her house, she surrounded herself with the great outdoors through her botanical paintings. As she healed from her anxiety, she felt more comfortable in the natural world than in human-made settings. So she started creating sacred, serene spaces in the city through her nature-themed art. It’s no wonder, then, that people tell Lee her murals of symmetrical birds or outsized blossoms make them feel safe and connected to their community and the environment. “If my career is to add beauty, I’m okay with that life and that purpose,” she says. “I think a lot of times we devalue the pursuit of beauty as being frivolous, but it’s really a noble pursuit.” See more of Lee’s works at laurenleefineart.com. Three Birds in Flight by Lauren Lee, Phoenix
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