Lauren Hunt paints for herself but also for a greater purpose-to provide representation for People of Color. 

For Hunt, art is a medium in which she can transfer her frustrations, process her thoughts and represent those she finds are under-represented in society. 

“Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of art or media that was representative of me as a person. So in my painting, I explore untraditional and traditional forms of Women of Color,” Hunt said. 

In highlighting various elements of different cultures through the strokes of oil paint, Hunt’s artwork often seeks to express the diversity and beauty found amongst Women of Color. 

Her first oil painting was inspired by an article about how Black farmers are less common now than they were a few decades ago due to being pushed off their land. The article mentions that current Black farmers are part of what’s called a “cultural reclamation.” In other words, today, these farmers are reclaiming a part of their culture by following the footsteps of their ancestors. 

“I was thinking that they never highlight People of Color and, more specifically, Women of Color going outside or hiking, biking, and fishing. You always see white people doing it. That’s something that has bothered me because I know People of Color go outside. I know we hike, we bike, we do all of these things. Yet, there’s hardly any representation of us doing outdoor activities.” 

In reading that specific article and her personal epiphanies, Hunt saw a need for BIPOC to be represented in their full form. This thought process led to her painting “Where are you from?,” her first oil painting. 

As pictured in this article hanging on the wall, the painting “Where are you from?” features a woman who is seemingly naked in the forefront, staring at the onlooker. She looks very natural and the background is of a nature landscape as well. 

“When I was painting this, I painted the background last. I was focused on the idea of just painting this woman and telling her story based solely on how she represented herself. When I put in the background, it became the full story. The background represents that the woman is from nature.” 

In light of the Black Lives Matter protests and the state of society in general, Hunt continues to paint Women of Color like the one in “Where are You From?.” She shows Black people and People of Color as their multi-dimensional, complex and unique selves. 

“I feel as though society and the media want to portray Black people in a negative light. However, they aren’t able to see the full picture or see the reason for our frustrations. The truth is, Black people understand the progress that will come from our fight for allyship…BIPOC needs to be represented in everything that we do, not just what society wants you to view us as.” 

In addition to being a means to represent diversity, for Hunt, art is intrinsically beneficial. Hunt said that people can even use art as a healthy means of processing negative emotions. 

“A lot of the time, art is therapeutic to me. When I put a brush to a canvas, it’s like everything melts away. In our current political and social climate, I feel like everyone needs that sense of escapism and room to process the world around them,” Hunt said.  

In fact, originally, she did not share her art with people and has yet to begin selling it. She said it has felt strange to consider selling her art by comparing it to selling a piece of herself. However, she is still seriously considering putting her pieces up for sale. 

“I hope when people look at my art, they feel inspired. When I first started making art, I didn’t make it with the intention of other people seeing it, now that I feel comfortable sharing my art with the world, I want it to be meaningful.” 

While Hunt hopes her artwork positively impacts anyone, she has a message for Women of Color specifically. 

If I were to say one thing to women of color, it would be to stay authentic to yourself and don’t be scared to show the world your real self. Life is about continuous growth and it’s important to be accepting of yourself at every step of the journey.

Lauren Hunt

“If I were to say one thing to women of color, it would be to stay authentic to yourself and don’t be scared to show the world your real self. Life is about continuous growth and it’s important to be accepting of yourself at every step of the journey.” 

For now, she will continue painting and posting her artwork online for others to view and hopes it positively impacts the BIPOC population. 

“A lot of the time I paint People of Color and more specifically Black women. As a Black woman, you live in this world where you don’t see yourself represented in art that often. When you do, it’s not often representative of how diverse Black people and Black culture is. In my art, I hope that Black people and People of Color are able to find a piece of themselves and know that they are seen.” 

To see Lauren Hunt’s artwork, check out her account on Instagram: @ren.simone 

*BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color

Written by Kenzie Jade | @missjadekenzie