LAURA GUOKĖ

Artistic Statement

 

My artistic practice currently evolves in two interconnected directions.

One strand focuses on migration, displacement, identity, and conflict—explored through detailed portraiture across painting, sculpture, printmaking, installation, and film. I investigate the human condition and the passage of time, often collaborating with NGOs and working within marginalized communities. Projects such as Portraits from the Ritsona Refugee Camp (2016–2019), Choice (2021–2023), which responded to the war in Ukraine, an ongoing portraiture series in a Lithuanian village, and Metamorfosi (Greece, 2024–ongoing), reflect my commitment to using art as a tool for visibility, empathy, and healing. I aim to create space for underrepresented voices, enabling participants to process trauma, reduce isolation, and share their personal narratives.

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In parallel, my most recent work explores the intersection of human experience and digital civilization. In an era dominated by data, algorithms, and artificial intelligence, I examine what remains deeply human—emotion, intuition, imperfection. Using traditional painting techniques, I create portraits that reflect the physical presence and inner worlds of real people, grounding my work in lived experience rather than AI-generated imagery. My work poses the question: Can we preserve the essence of humanity in a world increasingly driven by logic and abstraction? It is an invitation to slow down, to feel, and to remember that—even in the digital age—the true self remains a boundless ocean.