We are excited to announce that Lauren Hooks has been selected as the 2026 Hybrid Body Lab Artist-in-Residence. This year, we received an exceptionally strong pool of applications spanning a diverse range of body-based art forms. After careful review and discussion by the selection committee, followed by interviews with four finalists, Lauren’s compelling hair-based practice and collaborative potential stood out. We are excited to welcome Lauren to the Hybrid Body Lab community. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming artist talks, workshops, and the exhibition in spring 2026.
Lauren Hooks
Lauren is a stylist and content creator with 10+ years of experience, blending artistry with strategy to inspire confidence and culture. Trained under Aveda masters at Van Michael Salon, she grew into Atlanta’s creative scene, collaborating on film, editorial, and community projects. Specializing in artistic braiding and editorial styles, she combines technical skill with cultural depth, leaving a lasting mark through beauty, storytelling, and connection.
HYBRID BODY LAB ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE 2026 FINALIST
Adrien FLORES-CUTULO
https://www.instagram.com/juanita.care_
I am a French-Peruvian visual artist and designer trained in Fine Arts and dental prosthetics. I explore the body as a sensitive and political territory, with a particular focus on the mouth as a space of expression, desire, and transformation. My work combines sculpture, jewelry, and photography to explore intimacy, materiality, and embodied experience. I embrace collaboration and experimentation.
ryuan johnson
I am Ryuan Johnson, a Chicago hair artist and sculptor exploring hair as living fiber tied to identity, culture, and abstraction. I weave discarded objects into braids, turning hair into a tactile interface. Researching global hair traditions, I craft multisensory works using sound, scent, and touch. My upcycled sculptures and client collaborations honor lineage, transforming personal histories into art that celebrates memory, beauty, and cultural connection.
Hyoyeon Jeong
https://www.instagram.com/hyodomachine/
Korean-born, New York-based artist with a Diploma in Painting from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Specializing in tattoo art, they create digitally-modeled designs using 3D software, exploring intersections between traditional painting, body modification, and digital technologies. Currently investigating how 3D modeling transforms conventional tattoo art into interactive, dimensional experiences that challenge boundaries between digital design and physical embodiment.
ORGANIZERS
Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao
Director, Hybrid Body Lab
Assistant Professor of Human Centered Design, Cornell University
Jingwen Zhu
PhD Candidate, Hybrid Body Lab
Human Centered Design, Cornell University
SELECTION COMMITTEE / BOARD OF ADVISORS
The selection committee and organizers will work together to determine the finalists. The organizers will ultimately select the chosen resident.
Jaleesa Reed, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor of Human Centered Design, Cornell University
Dr. Jaleesa Reed is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design. Her primary research interest is in millennial Black women’s beauty culture and beauty retail spaces. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on connecting human geography, feminist studies, and merchandising in the fashion, apparel, and textile industries.
Sarah Gotowka
Artist
Owner & Directer, Luna Fiber Studio
Sarah Gotowka is a practicing textile artist and instructor. She has been weaving since 2005, and has been growing natural dyes since 2010. She received her BFA in Fibers and Material Studies from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2007, and her MFA in Fibers and Material Practices from Concordia University in Montreal in 2013. Since moving to the Ithaca area she has taught at SUNY Cortland, Cornell University, Ithaca College, The Johnson Museum of Art, Wells College, and New Roots Charter School.
Oksana Ani
Sr. Designer for Advanced Knit, Nike Inc.
Interdisciplinary Designer, Thinker, Explorer
Oksana Ani is an experienced Designer, Thinker, Explorer and visual communicator who excels in cross-functional collaborations. Oksana leads innovation platforms that focus on impactful and sustainable product that is empowered by storytelling. She holds a Master's degree focused in Fashion Design from Royal College of Art and Innovation from MIT Media Lab. She is currently a Sr. Designer for Advanced Knit at Nike Inc.
Writer and Makeup Artist
Assistant Designer, Digital Product Creation, Tapestry Inc.
Morgan Chen is a multimedia artist based in New York City. She began her creative practice as a film makeup artist, leading her to develop a curiosity around body-centered art. This focus deepened during her Hybrid Body Lab artist residency, where she combined makeup technique and electronic sensors to create Social Prothesis, a dynamic facial wearable. Currently, Morgan works in 3D design in fashion, while continuing to cultivate a personal practice in socially engaged art. She is an active member of Art Against Displacement, a NYC Chinatown-based coalition of artists and cultural workers committed to fighting displacement locally and globally.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This residency is funded by the National Science Foundation and a Cornell University College of Human Ecology Engaged Research Grant.
We are grateful to Laura Devendorf, Leah Buechley, and Jennifer Jacobs for their earlier work in Experimental Weaving and Clay Residencies which inspired this endeavor!