For Lauren Halsey, the studio is a place to get lost—and to return home. Over the past five years, the artist’s work has traveled to the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the shores of Venice for the Biennale, and Kensington Gardens for a show at the Serpentine in London. But the beating heart of her immersive, architectural projects remains her home, studio, and community in South Central Los Angeles, where her family has lived for generations.
This year, Halsey is continuing to bring her civic engagement and distinctive take on the aesthetics of funk and commercial signage to new audiences. She has collaborated with the performance-wear brand Rapha and the Miami Design District to create a limited-edition cycling jersey whose sale will raise money for cancer research. Back in LA, she is teaming up with the nonprofit LAND to unveil sister dreamer, a sprawling sculpture park in South Central that opens to the public in March.
What’s the first thing you do when you enter your studio?
Pray.
What’s on your studio playlist?
P-Funk, rare Ms. Lauryn Hill stuff, the Delfonics, Steve Lacy, KNX [radio station], Meshell Ndegeocello, a ton of syrupy ’70s soul songs, and speeches and interviews from my heroes.
What’s in your studio fridge?
Dis n’ dat.
If you could have a studio visit with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt.
What’s the biggest studio mishap you’ve experienced?
Thinkin’ it’s all fun n’ games.
Is there a studio rule you live by?
Rule 6 from Sister Corita Kent: “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from another artist?
“It’s all just an experiment anyway…”
When do you do your best work?
Weekends—in hot weather.
What’s your studio uniform?
Camo pants with lots of pockets, a dingy T-shirt, and a hat.
If you had to choose, would you rather go to the studio drunk, high, or hungover?
None of the above, ever. Total setup.
in your life?
