Lauren Verdugo

I am an artist and furniture maker based in Southern California, who primarily uses locally sourced materials, found objects, and production waste that reflect the Los Angeles landscape to create my work. 

  My journey began in 2012 as an intern at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts. I worked my way up from an intern to a workshop and education assistant for the foundation's K-12 art program. The following year, I started an apprenticeship with Larry White - a master craftsman who worked closely with iconic 20th-century furniture maker Sam Maloof. During this time, I acquired a diverse skill set that allows me to work with various mediums such as ceramics, metal, concrete, and wood, creating everything from large-scale sculptures to handmade furniture. 

  As a queer and non-binary person, I have observed a lack of diversity, accessibility, and sustainability in the woodworking industry. I am exploring the intersection of my identity with the mid-century craft furniture movement. Through my work, I hope to promote positive change and create a more inclusive environment by acting as a glitch in the system. 

  My inspiration comes from various sources such as geological formations, ancient tools, and peculiar details I come across daily. I also create wall compositions that use abstraction, urban hardwood, and found objects. These didactic compositions capture the chaos of struggling with my mental health and provide me with a sense of closure. 

  My work has been featured at the Ontario/LAX International Airport in 2020-2021. In 2022, I collaborated with Architectural Digest to create a video for their YouTube series "AD Custom Crafted." I was also a resident artist at The Grunewald Guild in Leavenworth, WA during the winter of that year. In August 2022, I launched my studio art furniture business, Purple Stump Studios. Currently, my work is on view at the "This is Not a Chair" group show at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art in Claremont, CA.