ABOUT - LAURA WOERMKE

Laura Woermke is a Canadian figurative and landscape artist who works primarily in oil and acrylic. Her art is known for its vibrant colors, expressive brushwork, and emotional depth.

Woermke's figurative work often features women depicted in intimate and introspective poses. Her paintings capture the nuances of human emotion and the complexities of the human experience, often conveying a sense of quiet contemplation or deep introspection.

In her landscape paintings, Woermke explores the natural beauty of Canada, capturing the sweeping vistas of the Canadian wilderness and the rugged beauty of the Canadian coastline. Her paintings are marked by their rich colors and bold, dynamic brushwork, which capture the energy and vitality of the natural world. Overall, Laura Woermke is a talented and versatile artist whose work captures the beauty and complexity of the world around us. Her paintings are highly sought after by collectors and art lovers alike, and she is considered one of Canada's most exciting contemporary artists.

Whatever life a female leads, there is a label she will have to live down or live up to. These conceptions are so embedded into our society, vocabulary and way of thinking that I find it unnecessary to state examples. It is rarely a female's own choice; it is someone else that gives her the title to make her less or more than she really is. Labels have become living organisms, subject to laws of cultural evolution. They are born, they grow, and they die and / or change to fit the times. These labels and laws have been the focus of my past works. What I have learned from my earlier works, has guided me to develop and put more intention on the consequence of stereotypes and archetypes. In a survey, I have conducted, of 100 women of different ages, race and education, I have found that 90% of the woman believe that fewer than 20% of females are not happy or fulfilled. I have also found that many use external devices, for example, shopping, money, and jewelry, to compensate for the feeling of unhappiness, depression and guilt from not living up to the expectations placed on them. 

Ultimately, what is at the core of this new work is my personal reaction to these hindering limitations, not the depiction of certain qualities. It is my attempt to articulate these labels as they are revealed to me. Words seem to fall short when communicating my response and I have found that the avenue of painting to be the best vehicle. Using the female figure within the painting enables an opportunity to communicate directly to the viewer's senses since we all can recognize the forms of a fellow human being. It also offers a chance to retain a sense of fluidity while working, so section of the painting can rise and fall in importance.  My "women", reflect a profound sense of isolation, rootlessness and isolation. Depicted as the sole subject in each work, the female is painted with a quiet aggression and combativeness, to demonstrate both an acceptance and denial of the social constructs. The figure is threatened by the energy of the process that has created it. They are distorted and brutally honest depictions of naked bodies, and are reflective of what label has been assigned, and their response to them. Using an unrealistic palette to portray flesh, one is left with the feeling of bruised, stained and broken.