Maisie Luo: Lotus in a Sea of Fire
Maisie Luo: Lotus in a Sea of Fire
Opening Reception: November 7, 12 - 2pm
Maisie Luo, Blue Lotus, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 27 x 38 in
Maisie Luo
Lotus in a Sea of Fire
Opening Reception: November 7, 12 - 2pm
Press Contact: info@laurathegallery.com
Laura (the gallery)
1125 E 11th St, Houston, TX
After moving from New York to Houston a year ago, Luo began visiting a lotus pond at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Sugar Land. Planted by Vietnamese immigrants as a place for meditation and a connection to home, the pond became a place she returned to across the seasons. Familiar with the lotus in perfect bloom in art, Luo was drawn to its silvering leaves, fallen petals, and dried seed pods—the grace of its natural decay. Her paintings combine paint and embroidery to follow these changes: thread traces the veins of blue leaves, catches light across the water, and gives fallen petals a tangible weight. Taking its title from a book by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist teacher and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, the exhibition considers the lotus as an image of peace and compassion amid suffering and violence. Informed by Luo’s study of Buddhist teachings and ancient textile traditions (such as Miao embroidery from southwestern China), these works bring close observation of the living world into patterns, colors, care, and prayers.
Maisie Luo (b. 1997, Shenzhen, China) is a Houston-based artist and writer working across painting, painted animation, and installation. Drawing on Chinese paper-cutting and embroidery traditions and Buddhist teachings of compassion, her work explores relationships among humans, animals, and the environment. She holds an MFA from Rutgers University, an MTS in Religion and Ethics from Harvard Divinity School, and a BA in Studio Art and Religion from Swarthmore College. Her work has been exhibited at DDDD Gallery, New York; Laisun Keane Gallery, Boston; Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston; and Ivory Gate Gallery, Shanghai, among others. She is Assistant Professor of Painting at the University of Houston.
For inquiries or additional materials, please contact info@laurathegallery.com.
Maisie Luo, Lotus in a Sea of Fire, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 48 x 36 in
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Maisie Luo, Winter Lotus, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 44 x 60 in
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Maisie Luo, Blue Lotus, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 27 x 38 in
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Maisie Luo, Yellow Eye, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 11 x 14 in
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Maisie Luo, Petals on a Summer Afternoon, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 8 x 10 in
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Maisie Luo, Bow, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 9 x 3 in
Maisie Luo, Winter Lotus, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 44 x 60 inMaisie Luo, Blue Lotus, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 27 x 38 in
Maisie Luo, Yellow Eye, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 11 x 14 in
Maisie Luo, Petals on a Summer Afternoon, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 8 x 10 in
Maisie Luo, Bow, 2026, acrylic and thread on canvas, 9 x 3 in
Coming soon.
Photography courtesy the artist.