lyra purugganan (they/she) is an interdisciplinary artist born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Columbus, Ohio. They received a BFA in printmaking from The Ohio State University in 2021 and a MFA at UC Santa Barbara in 2024. lyra is based in Southern California and Central Ohio, and was named the UCSB College of Creative Studies 2024-2025 Teaching Fellow.
Influenced by craft and materials, queer culture, and the midwest DIY music scene, lyra explores selfhood and their intersecting identities, disrupting systems through the misuse and misplacement of materials.
As an emerging artist, lyra has exhibited at OSU Urban Arts Space, 934 Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, UCSB Architecture, Design, and Art Museum, and the Greater Los Angeles MFA Show at CSU Long Beach. Recently, lyra is a co-recipient of the Greater Columbus Arts Center artist project grants and has attended the Haystack Mountain School summer sessions.
