Meet Lauryn Faye Dove | Mixed Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauryn Faye Dove and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauryn Faye, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Much of media is designed to be passively consumed. Instantly recognizable as funny or beautiful or shocking, but often not investigated much further. The purpose of my work is two-fold. I aim to share the nuances of my distinct Black and Guatemalan identity, while also encouraging viewers to see how the intricacies of their own identities are interwoven into the collective tapestry of our human connection and experience. I highlight Central American culture, which is seldom seen, by depicting Guatemalan cuisine and sharing how, through food, I am able to access my culture despite the barriers I face due to my Blackness. My work is meant to be thought-provoking, encouraging vistiors to let their curiousity lead them into my work, which combines acrylic painting and inherited traditional Guatemalan textiles. I hope to encourage others to expand their worldview and simultaneously look within.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
About a year ago, I decided to shift my art practice from creating pieces for purchase to creating pieces for exhibition around Southern California. It was intimidating to de-prioritize profits that largely fund my practice, but I no longer felt comfortable or connected with making art in the hopes it would be purchased. It felt inauthentic, and I feel much more tied to my work that is centered in my experience and aimed toward connecting with my community on a level that inspires them to purchase a piece, rather than catering to a buyer demographic. If you feel connected to my work, reach through my website, fayedove.com! I would love to hear your story and to get the chance to thank you for hearing mine.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Arts District Liberty Station, recently declared a California Cultural District, is one of my favorite places in San Diego. Not only are there great restaurants such as Con Pane, BOPJO Korean-Mexican Grill, and Solare Ristorante, but it is also a thriving arts hub. There are public art installations, artist studies, and Visions Museum of Textile Art, which directly influenced my decision to incorporate textiles into my work. I am certainly biased because I have the honor of working in Liberty Station!|

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My sisters and I are the only Black and Guatemalan people I have ever known. Iis only with their insights and listening ears that could capture our story in my most recent series, Banana Leaf Braids. Whereas the Garifuna are Afro-Indigenous people in Central America and the Caribbean with their own rich, distinct heritage, language, and history, this is not our history.
With roots in Jutiapa, Guatemala and Texas, we have crafted a unique identity for ourselves and by ourselves. It has not been easy. The journey has been tumultuous and our sjories will always be connected. I also dedicate this to my Guatemalan mother who has passed down invaluable wisdom, recipes, and intergenerational, matriarchal strength that I hope to pass on through this series.

Website: https://www.fayedove.com/

Instagram: @dove_faye12

Image Credits
All photos courtesy of Lauryn Faye Dove.