Brief Artist Statement by Lara Asam as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Thresholds” in the Cora Stafford Gallery on the campus of the University of North Texas on April 12-22, 2021.

My artistic practice centers around personal history, connection, and identity. I reflect on my experience as a Nigerian who has lived on three continents thus far, and how those experiences have led to the deconstruction, reassembly, and hybridization of my identity. My work pays homage to my tribe of origin, Yoruba, whilst redefining and exploring the hybridity that exists as a result of cross-cultural influences that are prominent in our world today. I incorporate varying objects and materials such as jewelry, sculpture, wood, metal, and fiber. This integration speaks to the multicultural existence of the world I live in the interrelationship between Nigeria and the West.

Lure is an exploration of light, color, and space through an understanding of plique-à-jour and textile techniques. Textile techniques are combined with metal and enamel to create dynamic forms that reference the natural world without mimicking any organism specifically. The forms of my jewelry pieces are influenced by carnivorous plants which, unlike other plants, lure living prey through nectar and utilize intense coloration to mimic flowers. My collection of jewelry, like the colors and patterns of the carnivorous plant, aims to lure people closer. Colorful reflections and small details invite people to explore my work.

Artist's statement from MFA Exhibition: "I draw inspiration from natural environments to create jewelry. Each piece is inspired by a particular environment, often a region of the ocean, and I use the colors, forms, and features of that environment. This imagery is translated through the process of making which may include hammer forming, enameling, patination and the use of textile techniques in metal. I incorporate a loose narrative that ties the jewelry together as a body of work and connects it to the environments that inspired it. The resulting wearables draw viewers into a greater appreciation for the beauty and wonder of the ocean."