Italian artist and psychotherapist, Lara Luxardi, has been awarded the This is Galway - Emerging Artist Award as part of Outset Gallery’s 2025 OXO Exhibition for her mixed media piece, The Sunbird's Table. Sixteen years ago, Lara said arrivederci to the Grand Canals of Venice, packed up her bags, and moved to the City of the Tribes. She tells us about her winning illustration, creative process, and how she got to where she is today.
A quote by American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist, Nina Simone shaped the inspiration behind the artwork: ‘An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.’ It’s safe to say Lara’s powerful piece does just that.
The Sunbird’s Table is set with fruit, traditional Palestinian food, and jasmine flowers in a bottle. A Palestinian sunbird perches on a chair - now a symbol of resistance. A folded paper boat references the Global Sumud Flotilla. Crayons lie waiting for children who should be lost in play, not sorrow. “This is an illustration of a place of warmth and stories, a sensory feast of daily life. What I wish for them now: peace, abundance, dignity, and an end to the horrors.”
“I wanted to do something about Palestine, but I wanted to do something joyful, full of hope.” Lara explains. “I worked with a little Palestinian girl who came to art class with me. She and her mom told me about their favourite things, what's traditional, and the meaning of all the pieces.”
Lara shares how it felt to see her artwork displayed in Outset Gallery. “I was so proud. I didn't know if I would get in because I know there's a lot of submissions and the standard is so high. I was extremely excited when they took my piece. I'm super grateful because I love what they do.”
Every artist approaches a piece in their own way, but for Lara, the colour palette is often the starting point, as she finds inspiration in the world around her. The Sunbird's Table, itself, was created through an extensive and deliberate layering of colour. “I paint with large sheets of colour and that process is really fun,” Lara tells me. “I kind of know how I want them to interact, but that it might not be the final piece. Then I just cut them up and put them together.”
Establishing yourself in the art industry can take years of persistence and dedication, including early starts and multiple jobs. “When you try to make it as an artist, you do a lot of little things, including working in a café at five in the morning,” Lara says. “One of my sources of income was teaching [art to children], and I discovered that I really liked it. I still teach art because I saw how meaningful it could be for children who were carrying a lot. Art is a powerful language for them, and a safe way to feel and express what was happening inside.”
That newfound grá for teaching naturally led Lara to take the next step in her career: studying psychotherapy. She currently has her own psychotherapy & art practice in Galway city and while she’s delighted with the current success of her practice and art, Lara says that this is only the beginning. “I'm very content with what my work has achieved. It's really taken off, but it's not a finishing point in any way. I am excited to continue growing both sides of my practice - offering holistic, integrative, art-centred psychotherapy for adults, alongside creative emotional wellbeing sessions for children and teenagers.”
To see more of Lara’s work, visit psychotherapywithlara.com or find her on Instagram @laraluxardi_studio.
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