ABOUT

An artist and writer with a passion for creativity, nature’s wisdom, and cultural understanding.

Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos / Feb 2020 / photo by Yennie Tse

Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos / Feb 2020 / photo by Yennie Tse


Hello! I’m LouLou and thank you for being here.

My work is in fiber arts, nature gathering, mark making, photography, and writing. Being an artist allows me to express how I see and what I perceive, and is a way for me to engage with my inner world and the world around me.

If you’re curious about my artistic journey, it’s all here in a series of four blogs, The Story of an Artist:

1: Discovery and Limitation
2: Longing, Separation, and Wholeness
3: Expansion and Exploration
4: Reconciliation and Integration


Bio

When I’m not in my own studio, I’m part of Studio PAUSE, a unique and intentional space that makes time for art, stories, and culture in Arlington, VA. Since 2013, I have had two solo shows of my artwork and participated in several of its group shows. In the past few years, I have been working closely with Sushmita Mazumdar, the founder and artistic director of Studio PAUSE, as project assistant and contributor and, more recently, director of operations on various grants focused on community book projects, oral stories, and exhibits. I helped her open a new space on Columbia Pike in 2023, Arlington’s most ethnically diverse neighborhood, with her vision of making multicultural more visible to everyone by making time for creativity and celebrating community.

I launched my social enterprise, Indigo Lion Handmade, in 2016, a culmination of decades as an artist, traveler, and occasionally living abroad, drawn to traditionally crafted objects and their stories. I fell in love with Laos and traveled annually to scout and curate a collection of distinctive, ethically sourced handmade textile accessories and home accents until 2021, when the global pandemic made it difficult to sustain my business. In the spring of 2020, I began weaving connections with the people, places, and cultures of Laos by integrating a new expression into my art through fiber art and hand stitching.

Prior to launching my social enterprise, I was Director of Programs and Operations for Empowered Women International in Washington, DC, from 2012-2015. In the mid-2000s, I served as a Community Development Volunteer in NGO Capacity Building for Peace Corps Romania and Uzbekistan. Afterward, I became a Technical Training Consultant for Peace Corps Romania. Earlier in my career, I worked for multiple design firms and taught design at the college level.

I received my Master of Science in Organizational Management from the School for International Training in Vermont, a Masters Coursework in Lettering Design from the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I also studied with experimental calligraphers in New York, Switzerland, and Japan.

I live with my sweet husband in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA, outside of Washington, DC.

 

Contact

hello@marylouisemarino.com

Follow

Substack