Interview with artist Laura Carenbauer
Lam Tze Sheung, aka Laura Carenbauer, is a Little Rock artist originally from Hong Kong. Her expressive drawings and prints are cultural celebrations of her Asian and Arkansan cultures. More of Laura’s work can be found at Boswell Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock and at her website lauracarenbauer.com.
AAS: Laura, where did you grow up?
LC: I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and my native given name was Lam Tze Sheung. You may know that the Chinese always say the family name first. After I completed high school, I discovered that there were very few options for further education in Hong Kong. Many people went abroad for this and that is what I decided to do. I attended West Liberty University in West Virginia, majoring in music education with a focus on piano. While at West Liberty I met Michael Carenbauer. He was on the adjunct faculty teaching jazz guitar, but I actually met him at a local restaurant where he played with a band. We were married in the late 1970’s and moved to Lansing, Michigan when Michael received a full-time opportunity. I taught music education at Lansing Community College for a year. Later, we moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I taught piano at UALR, the Community School, and eventually in UALR’s Third Age Piano Program. Michael was a music professor at UALR for about 40 years before retiring.
AAS: Were you interested in art as a child?
LC: As a child, I was more focused on music and playing the piano. I never took any formal art classes back then.
AAS: It must have been quite a culture shock moving to Arkansas from Hong Kong. How do you think that impacted, and maybe still does, your art?
LC: Yes, it was definitely a culture shock. I’ve always loved looking at all kinds of art and visiting museums around the world. It was after moving to Arkansas when I started creating my own art. As for the impact, I believe that no matter where I am, my art would remain the same—it comes from within.
AAS: I can see in Pinnacle that connection with East Asian art. But I see it as a very aggressive expression. Tell me about that print.
LC: Being born Chinese is something I can’t separate from myself, and I wouldn’t want to. I love Asian art because it feels natural and intuitive to me, but I also enjoy other styles of art. My ideas often blend East and West. When I create, I work gesturally—it’s the only way I know how. When I came to America, I went to West Virginia, “The Mountain State.” They have beautiful mountains and a different environment than the urban nature of Hong Kong. When I came to Arkansas and saw Pinnacle Mountain, it looked like what the Chinese would call a “lice head” mountain. That is kind of a joke that I made, and the Chinese words mean “big mountain and small mountain”.
Pinnacle, linocut
I guess that Pinnacle may subconsciously express in a personal way my connection to different expressions of art. I spent many formative years of my life studying the piano. The keyboard at the bottom of the image is a geometry that I thought would go well with the composition. I also feel that although the keyboard itself is lifeless, it can be used for a purpose that enriches a connection to our senses that is different from its visual representation. It has value as an object, but this value is only fully realized with human effort. One could say that this supports a basic foundational element of an aspirational interpretation of life. In Pinnacle, the keyboard may appear to block access to the top. But, if one is willing to engage a difficulty, preferably with a smile, the “reward” is magnified, even if the “top” of the mountain is never reached.
AAS: Your woodcut Tea Leaf Fish is a wonderful image. Of course, the Asian connection is clear, but you still gave it that rough edge. Is that look a consequence of the woodcut?
Tea Leaf Fish, woodcut
LC: I’ve always been drawn to Japanese woodcuts—they resonate with me the most. For this piece, I started with a koi fish as the base, but the scales were challenging to make uniform. So, I replaced them with tea leaves because I love tea and appreciate how every kind has uniquely shaped leaves. This piece was part of a tea-themed project I’ve been thinking about. The rough texture came naturally as I cut by hand—it wasn’t intentional but felt right. It is not too hard to cut, actually. I like the feel of cutting into the wood, but the printing process is more difficult because the wood is thicker than the normal level of the press. Each time one needs to adjust the height, and you don’t always get it right.
AAS: Some of my favorite pieces of yours are even less representational. One of these, Storm, is a silverpoint drawing and was accepted into Small Works on Paper 2025. Tell me about that piece. How does it feel knowing your work will be seen by so many as it travels with the show?
LC: One day, I looked out the window and saw a storm approaching. Watching it unfold, I later learned there had been a tornado elsewhere. For this piece, I used various silver objects—spoons, a stylus, flat silver pieces—on the paper. Each tool created a different effect, and I enjoyed experimenting with the possibilities. It is very nice to be included in the SWOP traveling show. I always have respect for the effort and perspectives of all who participate in the process of making art. Any affirmation of this is special.
Storm, silverpoint,
AAS: Another extraordinary silverpoint drawing (Untitled) is an even more abstracted image. I am a big fan of silverpoint. Tell me about that piece.
Untitled, silverpoint
LC: When I started making art, I was naturally drawn to abstract works. I hadn’t studied art deeply at that time, but abstraction spoke to me. Chinese brush calligraphy is very abstract, and I’ve always loved simplicity. For me, art often comes down to distilling complexity into something pure and minimal. Although it did not explicitly involve use of the Chinese brush stroke, it is in the DNA of the work. I used the silver stylus and held it like a brush to create a different texture.
AAS: Perhaps my favorite piece is a mixed media work (Untitled). I love the subtle colors and the energy it radiates. What elements did you use to create it?
Untitled, mixed media
LC: For that piece, I coated the paper with crayon and used a silver stylus to draw over it repeatedly, layering lines in different directions. It was a process of exploration and discovery. I think that the approach to the creative process that works best for me is one that allows the image to become what it wants to be. I might not have a preconceived idea about the work. I try to let it reveal itself.
As an artist, I really value the personal connection each viewer brings to my work. I believe art holds its own voice and meaning, which can resonate differently with everyone. For this reason, and also because this is not really how I engage with the works myself, I think I prefer to step back and allow my works to speak for themselves, inviting each person to find their own interpretation and experience.
Untitled, pastel
AAS: Do you have a favorite medium? How do you decide which medium to use when creating something?
LC: I enjoy working with pastels, as many of my early pieces were done in pastel and charcoal—large, black-and-white works with simple colors. Due to limited space now, I’ve shifted to smaller works and started exploring silverpoint. I’m still learning about the medium but love trying different methods to create images on paper. I’ve experimented with various grounds, such as screen print, crayons, and gesso. I think my flexibility with tools comes from my training with Chinese brush calligraphy—it allows me to adapt and use almost anything to adapt and use almost anything to draw.
