Meet Laron Bickerstaff, May’s featured artist
As part of our ongoing 40th anniversary celebrations, we are featuring a different CE artist and logo every month of 2023! Read more about our 40th anniversary and our featured artists ▸
Laron Bickerstaff poses for a portrait at the CE studio.
On a Thursday morning at Creativity Explored’s second studio in Potrero Hill, Laron Bickerstaff dons his signature sideways hat while coloring in a portrait of himself and fellow artist Allura Fong.
The legacy artist takes a break from his work to visit his fellow artists at their tables. Rolling up in his wheelchair to artist Kevin Cordoba, Laron puts a tender hand on his shoulder, and the two share a sweet embrace.
“He always seems to be having a great day,” says Care Companion Kate Hope.
CE staff describe Laron as ever friendly, cheerful, and communal, and these qualities are essential to understanding the artist himself. Laron exists in the world of people, and his work is deeply influenced by his own social observations. He loves to draw portraits, frequently of his fellow artists, from photos he takes himself in the studio or from screenshots of Creativity Explored videos.
Normally, Laron gravitates towards watercolors and colored pencils. His vibrant works are often comprised of brightly-colored geometric shapes, which he assembles together to compose abstract and stylized figures and scenes. His 2D works show a remarkable formal prowess, especially in his deft use of color-blocking and negative space to create dimension.
“Laron has consistently been a clearly fearless and adventurous artist, taking on whatever subject matter is in front of him with equivalent focus and vigor.”
A drawing of six figures by Laron Bickerstaff.
Laron’s excitement and appreciation for new visitors is emblematic of his comfort in the Creativity Explored studio. In his time at CE, he has found his favored subjects and the materials he enjoys working with, but is always curious and open to trying new things. Some of his work has been more text-based, like videos featuring stream-of-consciousness language. He also enjoys working on the iPad, and has been experimenting with Procreate since April 2022.
At Creativity Explored, staff have developed myriad ways to communicate with Laron, like writing messages on a whiteboard. He is able to communicate somewhat with American Sign Language and is learning to use a Lightwriter; he points to colors that he wants teaching artists to bring him, and he indicates when his pencils need sharpening.
Ultimately, Laron is able to address any challenges he has with verbal communication by relating to other artists and staff with his positive and friendly demeanor, and to the world through his distinctive artwork.
Deeply aware of the visual characteristics of language, Laron is a talented artist who has received widespread recognition and praise. He illustrated his own font, depicting each letter of the alphabet with hand gestures. The font was used in a Black Lives Matter letterpress print benefitting the Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness, as well as by CB2 on a holiday ornament design and a pillow. His font was also licensed by LISTOS California for a statewide campaign to raise awareness about emergency preparedness and disability. Most notably, Bickerstaff uses his font in the original animation Laron’s Home (2005) to spell out: DEAF MAN ME, BLACK MAN ME.
