Laura Owens

Laura Owens (born 1970) is an American painter whose inventive, boundary-pushing practice has helped redefine contemporary painting over the past three decades. Born in Euclid, Ohio, Owens studied at the Rhode Island School of Design before completing her MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she emerged as part of a generation of artists challenging the conventions of scale, medium and imagery in the 1990s. Her early exposure to the eclectic Los Angeles art scene encouraged experimentation across styles and materials, setting the stage for a practice defined by its hybridity and formal curiosity.

Owens’ work spans painting, drawing, silkscreen and installation, often blending gestural abstraction, figurative motifs, and references to digital, commercial and popular culture. Her canvases frequently juxtapose disparate elements — patterned surfaces, vivid colour, collaged text and everyday imagery — creating densely layered compositions that are visually immersive yet conceptually rigorous. In addition to traditional supports, she experiments with unconventional materials such as enamel, vinyl and digital prints, underscoring her interest in the physicality of paint and its relationship to surface, space and perception.

A pivotal figure in the Los Angeles art community, Owens co-founded Praxis, an artist-run space that fostered collaboration, experimentation and dialogue among emerging painters. She has also influenced subsequent generations through teaching and mentorship, promoting an approach to painting that balances intellectual inquiry with material exploration. Owens’ works are included in major international collections and have been exhibited in institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Hammer Museum.

LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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Laura Owens (b. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (B. 1970)

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LAURA OWENS (b. 1970)

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