Lauren Alexander teaches at the Bachelor Graphic Design and together with Chantal Hendriksen lead the Bachelor Graphic Design department at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK).
Lauren Alexander (1983, ZA) is an artist, educator, and researcher, specializing in design research and critical storytelling. With a global perspective shaped by her extensive experience as a collaborative practitioner, Alexander has developed distinct, research-driven approaches through her work. As co-head of the Graphic Design bachelor’s program at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK), in partnership with Chantal Hendriksen, she plays an integral role in shaping the future of design education, with a particular focus on broadening the scope of design histories and challenging the prevailing Eurocentric narratives within the discipline.
From 2017 to 2024, Alexander developed the Critical Storytelling course within the MA Non-Linear Narrative program (KABK), fostering engagement with complex global issues through design. She has been at the forefront of numerous collaborations with institutions such as ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism), Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Huis van het Boek and many more addressing pivotal socio-political challenges through her interdisciplinary and design-led approach. Her commitment to innovative pedagogical practices is further evidenced by her involvement as a tutor at the University of the Underground (2017–2019) and her leadership of the Cairo-Amsterdam Research Bureau (2019–2020), where she facilitated a research residency between the two regions, emphasizing critical discourse and mutual understanding.
In 2009, she co-founded Foundland Collective with Syrian designer Ghalia Elsrakbi, a collaborative practice that interrogates political and historical narratives through a combination of art, design, writing, and video. The collective has received international acclaim, receiving the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (2015/2016), being shortlisted for the Dutch Prix de Rome (2015), and the Dutch Design Awards (2016). Their work has been exhibited at prominent venues, including the Centre Pompidou, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, Ars Electronica, and BAK Utrecht, and is part of collections held by LIMA, Amsterdam and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
In possession of the Certificate Basic Qualification Didactic Competence and Examination (BKE).