August 2025
Larna Mewett-Mayer, known artistically as lunke ymarna, is a bold and boundary pushing artist based in Brighton. With a fusion of screen printing: and textile art, her practice dives into the complex, often silenced experiences of women throughout history and today. Her work is unapologetically political, deeply personal, and stitched with care, critique, and clarity.
A multidisciplinary maker, larna holds two Bachelor's degrees: both fine Art and graphic communication, and a Masters degree in cultural and critical Theory with a focus on Aesthetics.
Her layered approach to art reflect this scholarly lens, offering thought provoking works that blend activism with artistic finesse. Originally from Hastings, she experienced a period of homelessness in her youth. It was during this time, through a youth outreach programme, that her talents were recognised, culminating in her exhibiting work at Tate modern. This moment proved transformative, paving the way for her future studies and creative career.
Central to larna's practice is giving voice to those who are unheard. from her empowering 'Bad guys" series, which calls out abuse of power in the art world, to her hand-sewn feminist tributes like
‘His Breath Filled Her Body' and ‘grieve the laurel’, larna reclaims historical narratives through both form and content. These pieces are deeply researched and materially rich, each stitch, thread, and fabric chosen deliberately to reflect the emotional and political weight of their themes:
Her works explore forgotten and maligned women, like the victims of historical witch hunts or those erased by male-dominated artistic canons. She also confronts cultural complicity in celebrating figures like gauguin, carl Andre, and Eric gili, who remain revered despite their harmful legacies: Through subversive, embroidery and printed interventions, larna invites audiences to rethink whose stories are celebrated, and why
Works like "Why Haven'T you read It yet?', a tribute to Mary wollstonecraft, and A call to Arms', inspired by Simone de Beauvoir, reframe feminist texts as contemporary calls for reflection and action. Her layered pieces don't just exist as artwork -they're tactile provocations, conversation starters, and educational tools. Whether she's meticulously screen printing a feminist manifesto onto vintage RHS fabric or hand-stitching damning indictments into classic book covers, larna Mewett-Mayer's work is uncompromising. fearless, and always relevant. Her art doesn't whisper.
