About the Work
Defense mechanisms shape how we navigate fear—within ourselves, in our relationships, and across social systems. My work explores the ways people protect themselves, consciously and unconsciously, through patterns of avoidance, control, withdrawal, or aggression. These strategies are often shaped by past experiences, trauma, and perceived risks. They are deeply personal, but also social and systemic, influencing how we move through the world and relate to others. I use painting as a way to examine these layered emotional and psychological patterns.
Visually, I want my work to reflect this tension between vulnerability and protection – what we show, what we hide, how we armor ourselves. Festive, bright colors and floral motifs are layered with dark forms, stark geometries, and intricate line work, creating a push and pull between beauty and unease. These contrasts mirror the ways people mask, compartmentalize, and navigate fear—hiding emotions like shame and anxiety underneath while appearing composed on the surface, held together just enough.
My goal is to create paintings that feel both beautiful and slightly unsettling—drawn from the weight of difficult and sometimes ugly ideas, behaviors, and emotions. This work is largely about resilience: the instinct to look for the “bright side,” to create joy wherever you can, even when it’s built alongside fear. I’m interested in how optimism can be both genuine and protective—something that helps us survive, and something that can quietly cover what we don’t yet know how to hold. Ultimately, it’s about how we build small pockets of joy, and how we sometimes decorate the danger just to make it bearable.
Laura Domela, 2026