I was fortunate to spend time uptown yesterday at the studio of recently-minted Columbia MFA grad Laurena Finéus. For someone who’s really just getting started on her artistic journey, I’m glad to see that Laurena’s talent is grounded in thoughtfulness, research and inquiry. She’s using her work to explore Black geographies, marronage, and the uncertainty, danger, and hope that’s an integral part of migration. I look at her work and see the inspiration she, like a number of younger women artists, have drawn from Wangechi Mutu.
I look forward to watching her evolution. One to watch, y’all!
