Laura Hallen is a multidisciplinary artist, Master Gardener, herbalist, and Certified Aromatherapist. Her dual identity as both artist and botanist is central to her creative practice. Through painting, mixed media, and installation, she abstracts and reinterprets the intricate patterns and structures found in the plant world. Laura’s current work explores the experience of growing and interacting with plants, their relevance in daily life, and the broader cultural and scientific histories that shape our understanding of them. She draws inspiration from ethnobotany, plant taxonomy, botanical discovery, and the evolution of both real and imagined species. Much of her recent focus centers on envisioning future plant forms—species that might adapt, thrive, and serve new purposes in the world to come.

Throughout her career, Laura has exhibited at institutions including the Sioux City Art Center, the Bemis Center, the Great Lakes Aquarium, the Anderson Center, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Artistry, 535 Gallery, Silverwood Gallery, Kolman & Pryor Gallery, SooVAC, Fox Tax Gallery, HI Gallery, Umber Studios, and Gallery 360. She is a two-time recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Initiative Grant (2011 and 2013) and was featured on MN Original in 2010. She earned a BFA in Painting from the University of Minnesota in 1997 and completed the University’s Master Gardener Pro-Hort program in 2006. In 2021, Laura received certifications in Botanical Skincare Product Formulation and Aromatherapy from the School of Aromatic Studies.