Artist Bio

Lyra Purugganan (they/she) is an interdisciplinary artist born in Manila, Philippines and lives in Santa Barbara, CA. Purugganan received a BFA in printmaking from The Ohio State University in 2021 and is actively pursuing a MFA at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Influenced by craft and materials, queer culture, and the midwest DIY music scene, Purugganan explores selfhood and their intersecting identities, disrupting systems through the misuse and misplacement of materials. Through performance, ceramics, installation, ornament, and sculpture, they explore the complexities of girlhood and femininity, celebrating queerness and its intersectionalities. 

As an emerging artist, Lyra Purugganan has exhibited in group, solo, and duo shows in Columbus, Ohio and featured in publications like Folklore As Resistance, The Lantern, Cleveland Magazine, and The Current. They have participated in various shows at the University of California, Santa Barbara and have been included in the Greater Los Angeles MFA Exhibition in 2023.