Natalie lauren sims
TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Natalie Lauren's artistic journey is a testament to her multifaceted creativity and commitment to telling the stories of black women. With a background deeply rooted in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she channels the same pioneering spirit that gave rise to the iconic Black Wall Street, marking her as a force of change and innovation in the world of art.
Natalie’s artistic journey delves into the essence of wander, intertwining the tangible with the profound as she navigates the realms of the physical, cultural, spiritual, and the yet-to-be-discovered worlds. Her work, characterized by a contemporary figurative style, is rich in supernatural symbolism, employing a harmonious blend of oil paint, acrylic, and charcoal. This approach resonates with a deep-seated curiosity, one that is unveiled in moments of stillness. This stillness serves as a hallowed gateway, allowing her to connect intimately with both the flourishing and fading aspects of the world around her, as well as the universe within her own being.
Her art creates a sanctuary for healing, inviting quiet surrender to the grandeur and enchantment of the unknown. It is an act of self-soothing engagement with the present, a relinquishment of control achieved through creative rigor. In Natalie's vision, rest becomes a form of resistance, a stand against oppressive systems and a paucity of imagination. Sims's artistic exploration celebrates pleasure as a practice and fosters tenured tenderness as an innovative experiment in radical being. Her work is not just an expression of art; it is a testament to the power of creative presence and the transformative potential of nurturing the soul."
BIOGRAPHY
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Lives and Works between Tulsa, Oklahoma and Mexico City
EDUCATION
2005 BFA, International Academy of Art, Tampa, FL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Pittsburg, PA, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, “Minding My Business
( I Said What I Said ),
May 22nd - September 12 ,2021 Tulsa, OK,, Oklahoma State University, “In Bloom”,
Wildly Present In This Soil Of Ours” June 15 - June 21st
2022 Tulsa, OK, Zarrow Foundation Art Gallery “Wide Eyed Wonders”, June 15th - July 6th, 2022
2023 London, England, Christies London, “Note To Self” Selling Exhibition, March 28th - April 14th, 2023
Los Angeles, CA, Art Genesis, “100 Days of Summer, July 28th - August 5th 2023
SPECIAL PROJECTS
2023 Tulsa Juneteenth Festival,Tulsa Oklahoma, Chair of Arts and Culture
Beloved Benefit, Atlanta Georgia, Creative Direction, August 24th, 2023
2022 Project Row House, Houston TX, Site Specific Installation, Songwriting and Healing
Tulsa Juneteenth Festival, Tulsa Oklahoma, Chair of Arts and Culture Stacey Abrams
Atlanta, GA Creative Direction Cultural Experience
2021 Ava Duvernay's LEAP, Co-Directed Visual Poem & Short Film, “Would You Kill God Too” on police brutality and
the murder of Brionna Taylor. Black Harvest Film Festival, Chicago Illinois, Selected Work - “Would You Kill God Too”
Urban World Film Festival, Selected Work- “Would You Kill God Too”
“This Is Not A Celebration” An artistic homage and lament series in 100 year commemoration of
1921 Tulsa Massacre by interdisciplinary artists.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2023 Freed, Blayklee. “Beyond What is: Natalie Lauren’s work makes room for duality” (Aug 31, 202
Tulsa People Magazine [ online ] Masterson, Danielle. “Mashonda Tifrere’s 100 Days of Summer Does Not Disappoint”,
LA Sentinel, (August 3rd, 2023) [online] Team Ebony. “Tulsa Artists Natalie Lauren Embodies Female Sovereignty in
London Exhibition ’Note To Self’, Ebony Magazine, ( April 3rd, 2023) [online]
2021 Chow, Andrew. “Would You Kill God Too?” W.J. Lofton's New Poem, Commissioned by Ava
DuVernay, Puts a Spotlight on Breonna Taylor’s Killers”, Time Magazine (January 21, 2021) [online] Jackson,
Angelique.“Urbanworld Film Festival Announces 25th Anniversary Slate (EXCLUSIVE)”, Variety, (September 21st 2023) [online]