Chris LaPorte
Featured Works
LaPorte’s monumental graphite drawings investigate the histories, symbols, and human stories embedded within institutions, communities, and collective memory. Working in 2H pencil on cotton fiber paper, he develops each project through deep archival research, often collaborating with archivists, institutional stewards, and community members to uncover the narratives, figures, and moments that continue to shape a place long after they have passed from view.
Built through thousands of accumulated pencil marks over months, and sometimes more than a year, each work becomes an act of reconstruction and witness, drawing forgotten histories back into public view through a medium more often associated with intimacy than monumentality.
Public Art & Institutional Commissions
Chris LaPorte creates large-scale commissioned artworks that investigate the histories, identities, and collective memories embedded within institutions, communities, and public spaces. Drawing from archival research, site history, and collaboration with stakeholders, his work transforms overlooked narratives into visually powerful figurative works that create lasting public and institutional presence.
Known for monumental graphite drawings that can span nearly thirty feet, LaPorte brings an unusually research-driven and labor-intensive approach to commissioned practice. Whether developing a site-responsive institutional work, a civic commission, or a consultant-led project, his process is grounded in historical inquiry, collaboration, and a commitment to creating artworks that resonate deeply with the people and places they represent.
LaPorte welcomes opportunities for:
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Public art commissions
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Civic and municipal projects
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Consultant-led public art placements
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University and educational commissions
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Healthcare and healing environment installations
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Corporate and institutional commissions
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Donor-funded commemorative works
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Legacy and historically rooted site-specific projects
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Select private commissions