About
Thea Lao-an is an artist/illustrator currently based in Toronto ON, Canada.
Graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design (BFA) in 2023, Thea has experience in printmaking, painting, graphic design, mixed media, video, and installation.
Thea’s art practice explores themes of childhood and memories, often combining playful and “child-like” imagery with adult psychological themes relating to childhood trauma, mental illness, self-harm, and suicide.
Through illustration and painting, Thea creates a world of silly bears and characters inspired by the drawings children often create during early childhood in order to express the raw and genuine emotions of growing up, experiencing grief, and processing trauma through the lens of a child.
Thea is often inspired by the objects that have brought them comfort all throughout their life, such as their childhood toys, storybooks, and stuffed animals.
