There’s so much in the world that’s not positive, so if you’re creating something, why not make it brighten somebody’s day?
Mary Lai
Mary Lai has no time for pessimism. The Los Angeles-based multimedia artist moves through the world fueled by positivity and happiness, and this is reflected in all of her work. The next chapter of her joyous exploration is a solo exhibition entitled Synchronicity, which is on view now at the DTLA gallery, The Art Room. Replete with 30 pieces of Lai created over the last two years in various mediums, Synchronicity is a visual manifestation of meaningful coincidences. “Meaningful coincidences seem to happen when preparation and hard work meet opportunity, validating our artistic journey,” she says.
I had the pleasure of speaking with the effervescent Lai about Synchronicity and received a hardy dose of her signature warm-hearted enthusiasm in the process. She walked me through her journey from handbag designer in New York City to multi-hyphenate fine artist in LA, provided some insights about the show, and reflected upon her always-positive worldview. Read our interview below.
(Interview edited slightly for clarity and length).
Can you walk me through your creative journey? How did you make the leap from handbag designer to fine artist?
I’ve been in this creative industry now for 20 years, and the first decade was in New York. That was great for learning and building a foundation. I studied graphic design in college, and began doing graphic design for kids bags, but I ended up falling in love with product design. So I was doing handbags for a very long time, and even had my own namesake handbag collection.
Then, one of my previous bosses in New York, who had moved out to LA, started building these beautiful homes that he would curate with art and furniture to then sell as one whole package. He wanted to build his design team in LA, so he offered to relocate me and my husband to LA to help with the design curation. That’s when I transitioned from handbags to the design side. It really pulled the curtain back on the art world for me, where I got to see how the art world runs.
Art was something that I’ve always loved; I just never pursued it because I didn’t think I could make a living at it. I would always go to all the different exhibitions and Art Basel and paint murals on the side. Once I moved to LA and the project with my former boss ended, I took that leap to be a full-time visual artist in 2019. I haven’t looked back since!
Since then, I’ve expanded all the different mediums I use. Because I have a graphic design and design background, I love creating and experimenting. I’ve done murals, sculptures, paintings, and mixed media, so it’s a wide range.
I’m always curious to hear about artists’ studio spaces. What’s yours like?
My studio is in Lincoln Heights, about five to ten minutes from Downtown. I’m in this cool space called Keystone Art Space. It’s a community of artists that have studios within the warehouse. So there are 50 different artists, and then in the center, there’s a gallery, and everybody shows in the gallery. It’s a nice community space of like-minded people.
In a creative career, there’s no formula. You’re putting work out there and hoping for the best.
Can you describe Synchronicity? What are the main themes of the exhibition?
In my career, I’ll have these moments where I feel like the stars align, and I’m like, Oh! I have to do this! In a creative career, there’s no formula. You’re putting work out there and hoping for the best.
So recently, I was at Art Basel in Miami with an eight-foot sculpture, and it was on its way back to LA. I had yet to sell it; I thought it would go into storage. Then, I met up with the Art Room and had a five-minute conversation with the co-owner and founder, where he looked at photos of my work. He said, “Do you have that sculpture coming back? Do you want to put it on the front patio?” He told me they’d just had an artist postpone, so they had a slot open. “Are you ready for a solo show?” I said, “Oh, my God, yes!” It was two months away when he asked me that, and even though I wasn’t really ready, I wasn’t going to say no to a great opportunity.
So everything lined up. I had all of this work that I’d been actively creating in 2023 and exhibiting nonstop, so I had some existing pieces, then created some new pieces and pulled the Synchronicity show together in two months. The base of this show coming together was serendipitous—a bit of luck, a bit of the stars aligning—and that’s why I titled it Synchronicity.
What sorts of artworks are on display in the show?
There’s a huge range within price points, series, and styles, but it’s curated very well because there are many different areas. When you enter the gallery side of the space, it’s divided into two areas: I have my new works in the front and my earlier works in the back, so it has a nice flow.ow.
Within the 30 pieces, there’s the sculpture right in the front, smaller sculptures in the gallery, and then paintings made out of wood that I call my “Cloud Series.” So it’s a blend of many different series but curated in a way so that they’re in distinct areas. That said, they all come together with this vibrant, contemporary, and modern color palette. There’s always an uplifting, positive vibe to my artwork, which you can see consistently throughout.
What sort of experience do you hope viewers of Synchronicity have? What feelings and sensations do you hope they walk away with?
The sculpture right out front is eight feet tall, called “The Dream Portal.” It’s the best introduction to the collection because I created that sculpture to inspire people to create their own doors and paths of opportunity. The sculpture looks like a big door, and if you look at it from afar, it seems almost like a rainbow arch with a sun and cloud shape, but there’s also a door handle. It’s also activated by AR (augmented reality), so viewers can go into this dream portal world.
I feel like all of my art and everything I’ve done, is the result of me making my dreams a reality.
The whole point of “The Dream Portal” is for each person to be inspired to create their own doors and make their dreams a reality. All of my art and everything I’ve done is the result of me making my dreams a reality. So if other people come, see the artwork from the beginning all the way through, and then leave saying, I’m inspired. I want to go after my dreams, that would be a great takeaway from the collection.
Part of your ethos as an artist is having what you call a “Dreamer mindset.” Can you elaborate on what you mean by this?
I’m definitely a glass-half-full type of person. I have this mentality of abundance versus a mentality of scarcity. I’m very optimistic and always try to see the best in situations. I keep that sense of what’s presented in the artwork; somehow, when people see the artwork, that’s the emotion they get, too. People say my artwork makes them smile or makes them happy. I know that sounds very fluffy, but that’s exactly how I am. I can have the worst day, but I try to walk away smiling and ask, What did I learn from it?
I always try to see the positive, what I can learn from it, and what I can change to do better. So that’s the “dreamer mindset”— making more positive art. There’s so much in the world that’s not positive, so if you’re creating something, why not make it brighten somebody’s day?
Photography by Meg Hudson