Lauren Benetua

About the Artist

Lauren Benetua (she/they) is an American-born Filipino of Bikolana, Batanguena, Ilonggo, and Ilokana heritage residing in Huichin Ohlone territory. They are a dedicated cultural practitioner and weaving apprentice with Kalingafornia Laga, a weaving circle of Pilipino American women who preserve, promote, and maintain the indigenous backstrap weaving traditions from Kalinga in the Philippines. Lauren brings with them 10 years of textile weaving experience, including facilitating cultural educational workshops and weaving demonstrations alongside their mentor and teacher, Jenny Bawer Young and the Kalingafornia Laga weaving circle. Lauren enjoys multi-directional mentorship and believes that she learns alongside new students especially as she explores the responsibility of teaching traditional backstrap loom weaving in the same tradition that was taught to her, which has been passed down by the hands of women in Kalinga for generations.