Artist Statement

 As a neurodivergent artist, my perspective is influenced by my neurodivergent brain. My work intends to explore this concept, and to immerse the viewer in my own lived experience. I find many aspects of my everyday life overwhelming and chaotic. I may focus on the wrong task at hand, I feel emotions more intensely than others, I often have difficulty understanding behaviour within peer groups. These are traits that influence my personality and, by extension, my art. While I am around others, I analyze my surroundings to hide or regulate my natural instincts so I can blend into my environment. In neurodivergent communities, this is commonly referred to as “masking”. As I navigate this cacophonous, chaotic world, filled with the noises, smells, movement, and energy of innumerable moving parts, I sometimes feel overcome by adversity. But often, I am inspired. My eyes seek to analyze composition, colour palettes, and symbolism in everyday tasks, such as traffic jams, sunrises, or people-watching. My neurodivergent brain is particularly suited to make meaning out of chaos and to adapt; to create. When I censor my neurodivergence in public, I have inflicted upon myself an inherent loss of self-identity. My art reframes and exposes my sensory experiences, allowing me to be vulnerable with the viewer. By allowing the viewers to experience the masking I do, I intend to reclaim my own sense of identity. The decision to use clay is made because of the dual nature of clay: first, it is malleable, easily manipulated and edited. Then, once fired, clay becomes totally, irrevocably permanent. It is unchanging. 

Biography

 Lauren Teterenko is a Woodwind Specialist and Ceramic artist who has developed a reputation as a Manitoba Performer, Educator and Creator. Over the years, Teterenko has performed as a Freelance Musician in a number of recorded and live settings as a Jazz Multi-Instrumentalist. She has installed her artwork in many spaces like the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba and the Glen P. Sutherland Gallery, and has participated in public art events like Nuit Blanche. Teterenko is a regular member of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, Mark Humphries Orchestra, amongst other collectives, as well as a Director of the University of Winnipeg Downtown Jazz Band and the Saxophone Ensemble Director for the New Horizons Community Ensemble. Along with performing and directing in the city, Teterenko has worked with many school divisions as a Band EA, Clinician, and Private Instrument Instructor. Teterenko completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance from Brandon University, under the direction of Greg Gatien. She is currently finishing her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, Honours Degree in Ceramics from Brandon University, under the direction of Lin Xu.