Lauren A. Toomer

Biography

Lauren A. Toomer is a figurative artist who creates work inspired by the human body and the impact of a subtle moment. She continually looks at alternative approaches that challenge the spatial, contextual, and surface boundaries that circumscribe us. Graphite drawing serves as Toomer’s home medium, while she also rigorously explores painting and sculptural projects. Her uninhibited and traditional approach to art making inspired Toomer to study human anatomy and art in graduate school. She received an MFA in Art Practice from Stanford University, and BA in Art Practice from the University of California, Berkeley (summa cum laude). She was the recipient of the Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Fellowship from the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Drawing of Excellence Award. In addition, to lecturing in the Department of Art and Art History at Stanford, Toomer holds an appointment in the Department of Surgery, Division of Clinical Anatomy, and is a member of the School of Medicine Art Committee. Toomer continues to maintain a dedicated studio practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Artworks created by Toomer are on permanent display at Fair Oaks Health Center and the Kaiser Permanente boardroom in California. Toomer has been the guest artist and speaker at various places like SFMOMA’s Artists Gallery, the Anderson Collection, and the American Association of Clinical Anatomists. Some of her exhibition history includes the director's offices at SFMOMA, Art on Paper Miami, SCOPE NY, and the Annual Art Live Lounge: Global Fund for Women.

Research Interest

Art Practice