Lauren Shapiro

Bio

Lauren Shapiro (b.1984) is an artist and explorer who lives and works in Miami, Florida. She integrates ceramics and technology to uncover and communicate insights from the natural world, often collaborating with scientists to influence projects that highlight the diverse ecosystems of South Florida and beyond.

Selected solo exhibitions include “Pastiche” (2024) at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida; "Future Pacific" (2020) at Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, Florida; "Garden Portals" (2021) at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, Florida; and "Fragile Terrains" (2018) at Bianca Boekel Galeria, São Paulo, Brazil. Selected group exhibitions include "Intricate Oceans, Coral in Contemporary Art" (2023) with Coastal Discovery Museum, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; "Design Miami" (2021) with Todd Merrill Studio, Miami, Florida; and "Projektraum M54" (2017) in Basel, Switzerland.

Lauren earned an MFA from the University of Miami in 2016. She has received awards and commissions from the New York Foundation for the Arts (2023), Knight Foundation (2021), Andy Warhol Foundation (2019), Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs (2020–2023), and Art in Public Places (2021–2022). Her artwork is part of the Soho House Art Collection and Jorge M. Perez Collection.

Artist Statement

I am a ceramic artist based in Miami, Florida. I use mold-making and digital fabrication technologies to document and recontextualize various ecosystems. My artworks blend natural textures with geometric and classical architectural motifs, reflecting our intrinsic connections to the biosphere and human history.

My artistic process is rooted in research, collaborations with scientists, and firsthand explorations of habitats. Inspired by my excursions on land and underwater, I aspire to connect others to a future where ecosystems thrive, emphasizing our profound need for a connection to the natural world. Most of my ceramic sculptures and large-scale work are inspired by coral reefs, scientific data, and traditional pottery forms. By combining meticulous craftsmanship and modern technology, I create vessel-like structures, wallworks, free-standing forms, and immersive installations that capture the essence of corals and flora in real-time. These works present reflections on the power of art to immortalize stories, nature's legacies, and the relentless march of time.

The collaborative aspect of my practice reaches into the community; for many of my projects, I invite participants to press clay into molds, whereby they create objects that contribute to the artwork's final state. As a former educator and advocate for hands-on learning, I am proud to have built a practice that welcomes the community as an integral collaborator.

In this way—with my research-based ceramic practice that recruits community involvement—I consider myself a steward for our oceans and the natural world who promotes environmental sustainability through art and civic engagement.

Exhibitions