Laurence Vallières (b. 1986, Québec City) is internationally recognized for her large-scale sculptural works created from recycled cardboard. She studied visual arts at Concordia University, specializing in ceramics, and further expanded her practice through an exchange program in Los Angeles and an artist residency in Russia. Following her graduation and international residencies, Vallières began integrating street-art influences into her work, gravitating toward cardboard, an abundant, found material that allows her to create monumental sculptures on site worldwide. Over the past decade, she has exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Vallières’ practice centers on animals as vessels for human emotion. Her sculptures explore themes of vulnerability, communication, power, and political tension, translating complex human relationships into expressive animal forms with wit and poignancy. Influenced by figures such as Art Spiegelman, George Orwell, and William Kentridge, she uses anthropomorphism to invite reflection while maintaining an accessible, often humorous tone.Working with discarded packaging is also a deliberate political act. “Using trash to make art has political meaning when our economy is so harmful for the planet,” Vallières notes. What began with sketches and ceramic maquettes has evolved into a signature visual language in cardboard—now synonymous with her name, allowing her to merge environmental responsibility with bold sculptural presence.