Laura Sanders creates paintings of women and girls immersed in natural environments that merge the genres of landscape and figurative work. Her subject matter considers the complex realities of women venturing beyond perceived safe places. For a woman, experiencing solitude and a connection with nature is fraught with considerations and hesitations. Sanders articulates these fears and longings with an expressive painting style that puts forefront the tactile and luscious material qualities of oil paint. Sanders’ robust use of paint creates an almost photorealistic image that, when viewed in person, reveals its construction, inviting the viewer to slow down and experience the physical evidence of the hand in the haptic marks of the paint.

Sanders has presented her paintings in solo and group exhibitions at galleries and museums across the U.S. In 2024, her work was the subject of a solo exhibition, Her Habitat, at Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions. Recent shows include Here’s Looking at You, Plato Gallery, New York, NY; Rewilding, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; The Scenic Route, 1969 Gallery, New York, NY; Shape of an Image, curated by Sasha Bogojev, Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong; and Xenia: Crossroads in Portrait Painting, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings, Issues 77 and 149. In 2022, she curated the group exhibition To Die For at Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH. She has received a number of grants from arts organizations, including The Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award in 2011 and the Ohio Arts Council’s Individual Excellence Award in 2009, 2013, and 2019. She has been awarded artist residencies at the Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA, and the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA. Her work is held in many public and private collections, including the Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; The Scantland Family Collection, Columbus, OH; The Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, West Palm Beach, FL; and The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH. In 1988, she received her BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH. She lives and works in Columbus, OH, and maintains a studio in Long Island City, NY.