About
"“Lauren Anabela is a combination of my adopted and birth names. Born in El Salvador and living most of my life in the United States, I found creating, especially fabricating with my hands, a rewarding way to express myself and honor my culture. Creating keeps me grounded while feeling part of two worlds.
Being a transracial adoptee has not only shaped my world, but also my work, centering on my nature versus nurture journey of nostalgia, daydreaming, celebrating and, at times, being unapologetically brash in humor.
I enjoy the problem-solving challenges of jewelry making and how jewelry adornment is a way of individual expression. I feel honored thinking of the life and meaning my creations have with the individuals who wear them. The timeless path I envision for my pieces, from newly worn to hopefully being passed down as heirlooms, is a special reminder of why I create.”
Lauren Anabela is a Salvadoran born artist, metalsmith, craft educator and sole proprietor of Creative Dexterity, which launched in 2007. The name reflects the ways in which her hands play a major role in her creative process, whether holding a pencil, hammer, torch or, ultimately, Lauren’s finished work. In a way, creating and dexterity go “hand in hand.”
After taking her first metalsmithing class as a teen, Lauren knew this was a passion she wanted to pursue. This led her to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design where she earned her BFA.
Working primarily in sterling silver, karat golds and copper-based alloys, Lauren’s design style investigates structure, depth and kinetic movement. Simple, elegant and lively. Her previous Computer Key Jewelry series, which used upcycled computer keys as a quirky commentary on contemporary culture, was featured in Macworld Magazine and in the book Retrash.
Her latest collection focuses on the symbolic trope of death, memento mori, along with a new series, WRDPLY, which explores the figure of speech.
As a craft educator, Lauren has taught various youth and adult jewelry/metalsmithing courses at the Worcester Center for Crafts, Snow Farm, and Metalwerx. She currently resides in Western Massachusetts where she is an active studio artist.