Stephen Lao

Rubies, Sapphires and Jade

Stephen Lao was born lucky. His life story begins like a traditional Myanmar folk tale, with a miraculous twist in the middle, and ends with the American Dream realized.

He was a gifted innocent living in Rangoon, Burma when a despotic general, Ne Win, seized political power in 1962 and plunged the small country into a tormented period of poverty and oppression that lasted until 2010. In 1989, the military government changed the name of Burma to Myanmar for its people.

Fortunately, Stephen’s father was an intelligent man. He was selected to be educated in the United States at MIT, then returned to Rangoon and was forced to work 19 years as a chief city engineer in the water supply and sanitation department for the military government. In 1981, Stephen’s mother was able to pull some political strings and secure a plum opportunity that changed the destiny of her family. This resulted in Stephen’s father getting a job with the United Nations’ World Health Organization. This work entitled his children to receive passports and, one after another, they all left Burma to pursue higher education abroad. It is difficult for Americans to fathom just how fortunate Stephen was. The day Stephen held in his hands the passport that would give him the freedom to travel for education, feelings of elation and trepidation were running high in his family, among his neighbors and classmates, too. At the time, it was virtually impossible for most Myanmar to leave the country at all. Legally, that is.

Stephen earned an undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Kerala, India; a graduate degree in Environmental Science from the UNESCO-IHE in Delft, The Netherlands; and a graduate degree in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco. He currently works as a Health and Safety Director and Project Manager for a private environmental engineering firm in Walnut Creek.

When Stephen settled in Martinez in 2002, he joined the Martinez Arts Association. Fellow members of the MAA encouraged him to develop his various artistic skills with retail sales in mind. Then, the Martinez Gallery opened in May 2007. Stephen became a member later that year. He was one of the original twenty artists who helped establish the gallery and nurture its growth. In his spare time, he has been an instructor in wire-wrapping classes at the Martinez Senior Center and origami and flower arrangement classes at the Pleasant Hill Community Center. He also helps promote the MAA and Martinez Gallery at the Martinez Farmers’ Market on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.

Stephen’s aesthetic sense has found expression in several mediums: jewelry, flower arranging, painting, origami and photography. The strong early influence of his parents and Burma’s rich cultural heritage can be seen in his artwork. Stephen has continued to explore various art forms since joining the Martinez Gallery.

When Stephen was a little boy, his Mother enjoyed showing him dazzling gemstones of rubies, sapphires and jade mined from Burma’s mountains. With his knowledge in gemstones from the past and present, it is worthwhile asking him questions just to hear his enthusiastic answers. Stephen’s life-long love for handling gemstones is apparent from the worldwide selection found in his jewelry creations.

Yellow Jade Donut with gold-filled wire and Swarovski crystals, 2010

The childhood game of origami inspired Stephen’s award-winning earring design that incorporates miniature paper cranes. Visitors to the gallery are able to special order any color of origami paper, beads and gemstones for their earrings.

Music Notes, origami cranes with semi-precious gemstones, 2009

In Stephen’s boyhood home, it was common to find graceful flower arrangements. He and his mother also catered wedding bouquets and banquet table centerpieces. Mother and son enjoyed tending a home garden of wild and hybrid orchids, exotic plants and greenery. Stephen made minimalist flower arrangements with grasses and even weeds, beautifully transforming them in to works of art. The Martinez Gallery occasionally finds one of Stephen’s floral creations sitting on the corner of the desk. Invariably, these living art works elicit comments like, “How lovely! Is this for sale too?” Yes, it is.

Free style arrangement, conch with Calla lilies and geraniums, 2011

In recent years, Stephen has painted an image in honor of Pride Month in June. The event is sponsored by the Rainbow Community Center in Concord. The proceeds help the RCC provide youth-in-crisis counseling, a food bank for those in need, and distribution of meals to homebound elders and HIV patients.