Laura Shabazz

Laura Shabazz is an artist working with rescued books and salvaged magazines. Her collage work is characterized by a dedication to environmental and economic sustainability, working solely with upcycled paper and glue. She collects materials from recycling bins, using the natural yellowing of the book pages and vibrant pictures in magazines as her ‘paint’ palette. Each collage is an improvisational exploration of color, texture, and form, with no paint or digital manipulation involved. Her works are one-of-a-kind, evolving in real time as she adjusts to the materials at hand. Laura’s practice is deeply rooted in the idea of reconstruction—both of the external world and of herself. Her work is a reflection of her ongoing journey of rebuilding, creating meaning from what has been broken, discarded, or overlooked. She lives and works in NJ with her like-minded husband and daughter, constantly seeking new ways to bring creativity into everyday life.