Lauren Cohen explores subjects of control, power and sexuality in her work. The forming of the other within any given society is at the core of her research. Having grown up (and out) of Puritan New England, she connects historical events and characters to her own development in order to form fictional mythologies. Cohen gathers the content for her work by documenting a constructed life that seem to blur truth and fiction. Her work is both a response to her own awareness of self and a broader investigation into the forces that shape our understanding of the world around us. Hope, in Cohen's work, is something closer to the word’s origins: a curve or bend. Her paintings, sculpture and comedic performances reflect the complex, nonlinear nature of growth and healing trauma. By creating works that show the tension between humor and darkness, there is potential for revolution and a display that is often born from the act of creating something new, even from the wreckage of the old. 

Lauren Cohen holds a BFA from California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA and a Masters from Royal College of Art, London, UK. Her work has been exhibited at Marinaro Gallery, New York; The Hole, New York; Ace Hotel, New York; KinoSaito, New York; ArtPort, New York; Raynham Hall Museum, New York; Ghost Machine Gallery, New York; Felix Art Fair Presented by Voloshyn Gallery, Los Angeles; Westbeth Gallery, New York; Wassaic Project, New York; Spring/Break Art Show, New York; The Museum of Modern Art Department of Film, New York; Van Der Plas Gallery, New York; Trestle Gallery, New York; The Maine Jewish Museum, Portland; Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco; The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, California; The London Institute of Contemporary Art; The Blyth Gallery, London; and Goldsmiths College of London. She has been an Artist in Residence at MacDowell, NARS, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and MASS MoCA. Previous juried exhibitions include Bloomberg New Contemporaries, The Catlin Guide, and Saatchi New Sensations. Forthcoming exhibitions: Powerhouse Arts and Future Fair, New York.