Interview with Laura Davies

By Samantha Bache

Lau Skates Shit is a roller skater and visual artist blending fluid movement with raw, spontaneous creativity. Skating since childhood, Lau’s style is quirky, fearless, and driven purely by fun. Through surreal art and high energy skate edits, paired with an unapologetically personal approach, Lau captures emotion over perfection on wheels and on paper.

How did you first get into skating, and what made you stick with it?

I first got into skating when I was seven years old, a friend of my mums dropped off 4 pairs of used rollerblades and my sisters and I pushed ourselves around the kitchen for hours. I fell in love with it and have kept up with skating ever since. At 14 I transitioned to roller skates after a friend of my sister gave them to me to try out. 

What do you remember about your very first pair of skates?

I remember very little about my first roller skates but they were red white and black and adjustable, My first pair of quad skates were anarchy derby skates with low ankles, big stoppers and hard wheels, they had a gingham/checkered tongue and I was obsessed with them. I had them for about 2 years before they fell apart.

How would you describe your skating style in three words?

To describe my style of skating in three words I would say... fluid, polymathic and quirky.

You’ve shared moments of growth, like taking on steep hills, what’s been your proudest skating achievement so far?

My proudest moment in skating has two answers, firstly I am very proud of myself for not giving it up as a teenager, its not seen as particularly 'cool' when learning how to skate but its cool when you see the end result, so I am proud of myself for continuing to pursue roller-skating and secondly I am proud of my spins! I thought it would be near impossible to get good at spins without having prior gymnastic or dance experience but I am making progress :) 

Do you skate mostly for fun, progression, community, or all of the above?

As an autistic individual its very important for me to skate for fun as the main focus, if I pressurize too the progress or making connections within the community it makes skating a chore, so 100% for fun always!

When did you first start making art, and what led you to share it online?

I come from an arty farty family, so drawing and creating art was always part of my life, I have consistently drawn since a young age but I first started getting into visual art at around 11 making cover music videos, YouTube videos and skits, this progressed into montages and using platforms such as TikTok and Ibis Paint X to create videos, I  like to use odd pens and pencils to create something cool. What led me to share my art online was because i thought it looked cool! i wanted a visual online catalogue of all the art i had created over the years and i enjoy how my art makes people feel uncomfortable sometimes, the ability to capture someone's essence in a simple yet intricate drawing. Although it sounds pompous, i really enjoy watching my skate videos and getting vertigo, I just thought others might like it too!(and they did) 

What mediums do you love working in the most right now?

I love to use anything from oil pastels to fine liners but I'm currently really enjoying drawing tattoos, tattooing and creating skate videos as well as collaging. 

Many of your pieces feel really expressive, is your process more spontaneous or carefully planned?

95% of my artwork is done spontaneously, I wont produce anything i particularly like for months and one week it will click and ill bosh out 6 pieces of art with a similar theme and wont ever be able to replicate it. Most of my art does not come from a specific inspiration but rather based on my feelings and an inability to express that verbally. Being autistic can be difficult sometimes and so regulating myself by drawing something open to perception weirdly helps! 

Do you notice recurring themes or symbols in your work?

Symbols and themes that run throughout my artwork would be stars, eyes, circles, red, and surrealism 

Where do you usually find inspiration — music, nature, people, emotions, or other artists?

Most  of my inspiration comes from emotion or a random idea that just appeared in my head, i usually start my  drawings and paintings without knowing what I'm going to draw on their other than the people. 

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in skating ?

The biggest challenges i face when skating is injury! despite being told hundreds of times to wear the kneepads i still haven't and I've torn all the ligaments across both my kneecaps. I would definitely suggest to wear them! 

How have these challenges shaped the way you approach creativity and self-expression?

With more fear! because i have all the basics down, in order to increase my skill and speed its more risky and so fear comes along side it. Sometimes its a whatever moment and other times I've got to make an educated guess on whether its more likely to end in a cool new skill or a sore new injury. 

Do you feel your art evolves alongside your personal growth, the same way your skating does?

Personally no, i see my personal growth as quite separate from my skating. Sometimes i use art and skating as a form of escapism, if im avoiding mental health issues or academic work i tend to paint and skate quadruple what i usually would. 

Is there a dream trick or spot you’d love to conquer on skates?

I would love to conquer the gallop! watching London skate videos of chop and shuffle makes me so envious! I wish to learn how to run backwards confidently on my quads. I would love to hill bomb down Cleeve hill in Gloucestershire on my roller skates, in a biker suit and helmet, 50mph? sounds like fun to me.  

Where do you see yourself and your creative work, both skating and art, in the next few years?

Currently i don't have a particular plan for my skating, i would love to one day be sponsored to do daredevil stunts on roller skates but i think that will take a few more than a few years. with my art, i would love to start selling prints and t-shirts sourced ethically and maybe even design a pair of roller skates myself. But mainly i see myself continuing to have fun and hopefully inspire others to take up roller skating.