Laura Bishop

We create spaces to live in that reflect how we see ourselves. But our homes have histories of their own, which equally shape our identities. Laura’s work examines how interior architecture and surface decor both conceal and reveal the complex power dynamics inherent in domestic spaces. 

Originally from the UK, Laura holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the National Art School and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from Lancaster University.  Bishop is a multidisciplinary artist who works across installation, sculpture, painting and text. Rooted in deep historical research and material investigations, the foundation of Laura’s practice is a fictional exploration of people from the past, the lives they may have led and the spaces they inhabited.  

Drawing on visual references from history to create contemporary forms, Laura’s current body of work investigates the materiality of the interior space. Modular shelving is supported by cast iron bed legs, still lifes of flowers and fruit shatter and reform, walls constructed from muslin bricks offer a fragile refuge. In this work, Laura rejects the binary of past and present, suggesting history always remains with us. Like layers of wallpaper, or traditional still life compositions, we live here and now with decisions made in the past. 

Prior becoming a full-time artist, Laura worked in a creative capacity as an installation designer for clients including Post-it/3M, Opera Australia and Westfield. Her career began in the corporate world where she spent 15 years in senior marketing roles.