Michele K McLaren is a multidisciplinary artist who graduated from Bradley University in 1995. Originally pursuing a degree in engineering, she discovered a profound passion for the visual arts, prompting a life-altering shift in her focus. While her early work centered on art photography, painting, and ceramics, her practice was temporarily paused when her neurodiverse child was born. That experience profoundly enriched her perspective, and today she balances motherhood with both painting and ceramics, creating work rich in symbolism and emotion.

As a first-generation Finnish American, Michele draws inspiration from the minimalist forms characteristic of Finnish art, particularly the work of Finnish glass artist Gunnel Nyman, while also being influenced by the burnished vessel forms of Magdalene Odundo. In her ceramics, surface and firing are expressive tools, inviting viewers to engage visually and through touch, creating a deeper, more intimate connection with each piece. Her vessels move beyond function, using simplified, organic forms and expressive surfaces as metaphors for embodiment, vulnerability, and lived experience.

Her paintings extend this exploration of Finnish-inspired minimalism. Bold and abstract, her works range from stark and simplistic to radiant with vibrant hues. Rich in symbolism, these paintings reflect the nuances of the human experience, serving as a visual journal that captures moments that seize her attention in a rapidly changing world. Through both media, her work invites reflection, offering viewers an opening to connect with the patterns, complexities, and truths that shape us.