Shauna La shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Shauna, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day starts with a coffee. Currently I am able to explore the paved and unpaved stretches of Alsace-through forests and farmland, picking walnuts from the ground and watching the leaves turn warm shades. Soon, I will take walks in the Forêt Domaniale de la Malmaison outside Paris-there will be a couple of dinners with friends, and I will prepare for an exhibition…in a week and a half, I will be back in NY. Everywhere I am, I spend time on my computer working on research, gallery outreach, proposals, and plans for new artworks. Meetings. Much of my time is also spent experimenting—mixing materials for my medium, testing pigments, refining textures, and exploring new sculptural forms.
I balance that with reading-currently I am reading Atomic Habits, studying French daily, brainstorming, and improving my use of social media as a business tool. I give myself moments to simply enjoy the clean air, the food, and the rhythm of wherever I am. I’m immersed in the French language most of the day – and that has been very helpful and inspiring.
Every day is about staying focused, inspired, and aligned with what I’m creating, reminding myself that we and our lives are amalgamations of our choices and actions.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Shauna La, a visual artist based between Los Angeles, New York, and sometimes France. My work moves between large-scale textured paintings and sculpture, often in monochrome or primary colors. I’m fascinated by the physical behavior of materials—how pigment and light interact, the power of an element used in its most pure form. My practice is rooted in simplicity. My work explores themes of time, memory, perception, and experience.
At the moment, I am preparing for an exhibition in Vaucresson outside of Paris later this month with works that I created while in France earlier this year in the aftermath of the LA fires, organizing for an experimental exhibition in NY in December, and developing new large-scale works for Personal Structures in Venice next May. I’m also thrilled to have been selected as an affiliate partner with TASCHEN, a brand I admire for its dedication to art, books, and design. Each project feels like part of a more expansive vision and the right path to create work that feels enduring, immersive, and powerful.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that really shaped how I see the world was during my final exams at boarding school in Mississippi. My mom was in a terrible car accident—she was helicoptered to the ER with pierced lungs, and I drove from Columbus to Hattiesburg to meet her in the hospital. She had already survived a severe brain injury years earlier, when she had to relearn how to walk and talk, and suddenly she was fighting for her life again.
The dread, the pain, the sheer unfairness of it all—it made me deeply aware of how fragile life is. That awareness has stayed with me. It gave me a sharper sense of resilience, a deeper appreciation of time, and it continues to shape the way I create and move through the world.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that’s held me back the most…timidity with speaking languages and sometimes other activities caused by perfectionism. I’ve always loved the French language, but in the past, I would hold myself back out of fear of not pronouncing words perfectly. Lately, though, something has shifted a bit—when I hear French now, it feels like my ears are opening, as if I’m finally tuning into the rhythm of the language. I’m also becoming less shy about speaking, realizing that connection matters far more than perfection. Every attempt, every conversation, opens a little more of the world to me. I have a feeling like this will help me in other aspects of my life as well-Learning to be okay with making mistakes in order to grow.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m deeply committed to realizing my large-scale multi-room installations, sculptures, and paintings. These projects take time—they demand patience, funding, and the right conditions—but they represent the fullest expression of my work. I see them as immersive environments where form, light, color, and material can completely shift how we experience space and perception. No matter how long it takes, I’m dedicated to bringing these visions to life.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, I have. And when that happened, I realized how much the pursuit itself holds the real meaning. It’s not just about reaching a goal—it’s about the evolution that happens along the way, the small shifts in understanding and purpose. Fulfillment comes from the process, the growth, and the authenticity behind what you’re creating. When the outcome feels empty, it’s usually a sign that the intention wasn’t fully in harmony with my true self.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: shaunalanla
Image Credits
All Exhibition Photos: Royale Projects
Photos 1 and 2:
Reckoning, 24″ x 24″ Matte Black
Expedition, 24″ x 24″ Matte Black
And the Stars Look Very Different Today
Lynn Aldrich, Annie Briard, Shauna La, Kim Manfredi, Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, Ed Moses, Ladan Sedighi, and Michael Todd, Royale Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Photo 3:
Timeless, 40″ x 80″ Matte Black
Back in Black
Shauna La, Sol LeWitt, Nathan Mabry, Ed Moses, Louise Nevelson, Richard Serra, Richard Shapiro, Rubén Ortiz Torres, and Liat Yossifor, Knowledge Bennett
Photo 4:
In the Depths, 48″ x 48″ Yves Klein Blue
Group Exhibition: In/Out of Focus with Chris Cran, Shauna La, Laddie John Dill, David Allan Peters, Ladan Sedighi, and Michael Todd
