Julia McLaurin was born in 1981 to Polish immigrant parents. From a young age, McLaurin grew up in Houston, Texas. Her upbringing straddled a life in post-war communist Europe and a growing up in America, which influenced her art later in life. At home, her parents spoke Polish, so she became bilingual and multi-cultural. Her summer vacations were uniquely spent in summer camps in both pre and post Communist Poland, as well as time in Warsaw. Growing up she rode, trained and competed in show horses and jumpers, both in the U.S. and Europe. All the while, she was also challenged by family entrenched in old-world religious beliefs that contrasted with a greater freedom of thought in America. The contrast of life in Pre and Post Communist Poland, and life in the United States, early on, molded a perception of government and leadership. Art was fully part of her family life. Both grandmothers were architects in Europe, and her mother, who was also trained in architecture in the U.S., nurtured her life long study of print-making and sculpture, primarily at the Glassell School of Art in Houston. Her father practiced medicine. McLaurin’s path into photography was indirect. Despite obtaining an undergraduate and Masters in Psychology and Biology, McLaurin found herself drawn back to art and visual expression. In 2010 she opened the Srenka (“Mermaid” in Polish, and the symbol for Warsaw) Photography Studio with both of her sisters. McLaurin began experimenting with photomontage, enhanced by her early training in 4-color printing processes. Today, she is a full-time artist and photographer. McLaurin, her husband and children still call Houston home.