Laura Thipphawong is a Toronto-based artist, writer, and historian. She has exhibited art in group and solo shows in several Canadian galleries, and has presented her research and writing throughout various international academic forums. As a self-taught oil painter since the age of twelve, Laura made her way from small-town Northern Ontario to Toronto in order to pursue a career in the arts. She is a graduate and medal winner from OCAD University with a degree in Visual and Critical Studies, an interdisciplinary program that reflects her process of combining art making with intensive academic research, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Art History at the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on the critical theory of violence, sexuality and abject psychological elements in visual culture and folklore.
![I keep a lot of my old paint tubes including these antique ones in the studio just for the look of them - Laura Thipphawong](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/antique-paint.jpg)
![My studio is full of toys, plants, and various ephemera - Laura Thipphawong](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/wendigo.jpg)
![My chow chows keep me company while I work - Laura Thipphawong](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/studio-dog.jpg)
![Humour is the most important part of the process - Laura Thipphawong](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/playing-with-toys.jpg)
![Evidence](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Paint-on-hand.jpg)
![How to get through ten hour painting sessions.](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/manatea-1.jpg)
![Everything I do is heavily researched, and most of my paintings or the recurring imagery I use is based on a paper I'm writing or books I'm reading.](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/demonresearch-1.jpg)
![It's not too soon after getting this show finished to start painting again.](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Blank-canvas.jpg)
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What ‘hood are you in?
The Annex
What do you do?
I taught myself to paint in oil on canvas when I was twelve and never stopped
What are you currently working on?
I’m figuring out a new aesthetic for my next series, I want to try looking at things from a more immersive perspective and play with the expression of sensuality through a slightly more surrealist approach.
Where can we find your work?
Coldstream Fine Art Gallery at 208-80 Spadina, and www.laurathipphawong.com