Van. Lango
Artist Biography
Van is a Native Oklahoman painter and printmaker in the Oklahoma City area. She graduated in 2010 from the University of Central Oklahoma with an emphasis in painting/printmaking. Van has been a member of the FRINGE: Women Artists of Oklahoma group since 2011. Van has been teaching Art in the Putnam City District for 4 years. In 2010 & 2016 she attended woodcut workshops with the nationally renowned artist Tom Huck. Her prints and paintings focus on the human figure, Midwest influences, found objects in nature, snapshots of life from photos and “alternative” culture. Her paintings have been featured locally in the Paseo, Plaza District, Edmond Fine Arts, Norman and Piedmont. Her prints have travelled world-wide.
Artist Statement
Scavenged from the Earth and picked clean; I incorporate found objects into my oil paintings. I see beauty, see use, in what others discard and neglect. My artwork speaks to the interaction between the human spirit and the possession of discarded earthly materials. I use cradled birch panels of wood to paint on and leave the sketch marks on the wood to portray process and transformation of the artwork. My paintings are influenced by being part Native American and indigenous Oklahoman culture. In some pieces, I use a strong female form to encourage traditional ideals about "Mother Nature". In other pieces, I feel the decomposed and abandoned condition of the found items speak for themselves.
As a printmaker; my Woodcuts and Silkscreen prints tell a story of profound influences in my life. Printing allows me a visual and physical way to hang onto experiences that I am not ready to let go of. Much like stored snapshots of my personality, my prints are re-creations of memories. These prints illustrate the people, places, media and culture that have molded me into who I am today.
@van.lango_artist
Van. is part of FRINGE Women Artists of Oklahoma and was in our exhibition, Fringe at The Art Hall, January - April, 2018.