Hello, I'm Lauren!

I'm a Multidisciplinary Artist, Author and Illustrator creating whimsical cozy fantasy worlds inspired by books, games, self care, and gentle side quests.

My debut graphic novel, Side Quest, is soon to be published by Allen & Unwin!

View my portfolio

About My Work

My work is drawn to the in-between spaces where imagination and lived experience overlap, where healing is tender, slow, and made of small rituals that help us return to ourselves.

Growing up in Oregon, my childhood was shaped by misty forests, hidden trails, and waterfalls tucked between dense green canopies. I spent much of my time outside, moving through landscapes that felt more like storybook settings than suburbia. Those early experiences built my relationship to nature as something enchanted, immersive, and quietly restorative.

As an autistic artist, I am especially interested in inclusive storytelling and emotional accessibility. I love creating worlds and stories that feel like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. My characters and environments often carry a softness that invites pause, reflection, and comfort, offering viewers a place to rest within the narrative.

After moving to Australia, my creative practice continued to evolve, drawn to the same core idea; how creativity can help us process experience, reconnect with ourselves, and reimagine care.

My work often sits at the intersection of illustration, storytelling, and emotional world-building. I am currently working on my debut graphic novel, Side Quest.

I see my practice as both personal and collective. It holds space for nostalgia, inner worlds, and the quiet resilience found in everyday life. Through illustration and storytelling, I aim to create gentle worlds that invite people to linger a little longer, and to find meaning in softness, imagination, and small adventures.

My debut graphic novel, Side Quest, follows the quiet adventures of Neurodivergent characters navigating a world not build for them, just like me!

Coming soon, published by Allen & Unwin!

Follow my Side Quest

Exhibitions & Events

Upcoming

Northern Beaches Zine Fair, 25th July, Manly Library

Incognito Art Show, Sydney 2026

Track or Treat, Sunday 13th Sept, Northern Beaches PCYC

Hoji Tart Festive Market 2026 7th Nov, Sydney Town Hall

Past

Brisbane Illustration Fair, 2026

Festival of the Photocopier, Melbourne 2026

Papercuts Comic Festival, Adelaide, 2025

Squishyfest, Sydney, July 2025

Manly Zine Fair, Sydney, 2024

Incognito Art Show, Sydney 2024

Amalgam Group Art Show, Manly 2024

Stayfly Sydney 10 Year Anniversary Street Art Jam, Sydney 2023

MOSS Foundation Charity Skateboard Art Show, Sydney 2023

Manly Zine Fair, Sydney, 2023

Papercuts Comic Festival, Adelaide, 2023

“Incognito Art Show”, Sydney, 2023

“Fempocalypse”, Wayward Brewing Co, Sydney, 2023

“Adding Colour” Exhibition, Nabe Art Studio Exhibition, Australia 2023

Portland Art Show, Victoria, Australia 2023

GAS SYD | MYRIAD, Luna Studio, Sydney, Australia 2023

“Petite Pieces” Prize, Aspire Gallery, Brisbane, Australia 2023

Cardboard Box Illustrator Showcase, Online 2022

Belonging, Creative Garage Network, Manly 2022

Midsöle Group Art Exhibition, 2022

Fortheart For the Deckade Exhibition, 2022

Sustainability Waste 2 Art Prize Exhibition, 2022

Moss Foundation Skateboard Deck Art Show, 2022

Day of the Dead, KRVNM, 2020

Halloween in Isolation, Belle Epoque Gallery, 2020

YAW WAY Mural Festival 2020

KRVNM Wild Hearts Exhibition, 2020

NSW Bushfire Fundraiser, 2020

Living Creatures Art Exhibition, The Hippie Shop, 2019

KRVNM Resurrection, Studio Blueprint, 2019

Objectified | Ambush Gallery, 2019

Midsole Sneaker Exhibition, M2 Gallery, 2018

Secret Walls, The Standard Bowl, November 2017

Framed! Art Exhibition, Blacketts Gallery, 2016

Surf & Street Art Exhibition, Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, 2015

Duke’s Day Celebration; 100 Years of Surfing, Freshwater Beach, 2015

The Last Tree Standing, David Lynch MA Short Film Concept Sketches, 2015

Manly Surf and Street Art Group Exhibition, Painters’ Gallery, 2015

RAW Sydney Allure Art Show, Sydney University, 2014

I Heart Zombies, Belgrave Cartel, 2014

Surf Art Group Show, Kayapa Creative Studio, 2014

Chica Bonita Chili Kook Off Group Exhibition, 2014

Allure RAW Art Group Exhibition, 2014

Atelier Hunt Launch, Group Exhibition, 2014


Street Art & Murals 

Stayfly Sydney Street Art Mural, Offbeat Collective 2023

ARN Sound Lounge (Assistant Painter for Inkhunter Artist) 2021

YAW WAY Mural Festival 2020

Secret Walls, The Standard Bowl, November 2017


Side Quest to Japan

During my recent art residency in Japan, I created a series of diary comics of my own personal side quest to unmask creatively.

Everywhere I traveled, my character Cornelius Scalybottom (an Autistic dragon) traveled with me. Each new adventure shaped both me and my characters, as we explored Japan, China and South Korea.

Make sure to follow my side quest drawing Side Quest to see more of my adventures (and Cornelius Scalybottom's too!)

Follow my Side Quest

For freelance projects or questions, you can contact me at laurenrosemetzler@gmail.com.