LAUREN HAMILTON comes to the visual arts from a long standing background in the theater. As an actor, she was a founding member of Cucaracha, a well-known downtown theater company in New York City. The group specialized in productions of original material written by both in-house and guest playwrights, and she appeared in numerous performances at Cucaracha’s warehouse space, and shows they staged at other notable downtown venues such as Classic Stage Company and the Public Theater. Drawing on this background as a performer, she uses portraiture and the figure to explore issues such as female identity and relationships between the sexes, frequently using herself as a model for both genders. Lauren holds a BFA from Bard College, and MFAs from Brooklyn College and the New York Academy of Art. She currently lives and works in Kingston, NY.