Fish Factory

Laura Thipphawong is a Canadian artist, writer, and historian, and has exhibited art and presented her research throughout several galleries and international academic forums. Her studio practice is representative of her research on the complex symbolism of the psyche in response to various social factors, with focus on sexuality, horror, folklore, and natural science.

Laura used her time at the Fish Factory to source inspiration from the regional environment and to reinvigorate her work habit of undergoing day-long uninterrupted drawing and painting sessions. While in the studio, Laura organized and drafted hundreds of source images for use in her series of paintings involving the natural world as an allegory for emotional human experience, and of the connectedness between time, space, and the psyche. She created several studies from which to evolve into oil paintings back at her Toronto studio, and as well created a small series of illustrations informed by the whimsical and turbulent Icelandic culture and landscape.

During her time in Iceland Laura met many wonderful people, fulfilled a life-long dream (hiking a volcano), and experienced some deeply charged moments of personal connection both inside the studio and in the outside world.

Thank you, Laura! :)