Born in 1956 in Litchfield, Minnesota, Lawrence McLaughlin studied art at the University of California, Santa Cruz, before moving to London in 1978. After a brief return to the U.S., he relocated to Europe in 1984.
From 1985 to 1988, he continued his studies at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, focusing on art and art history. It was in the sculpture studio led by Charpentier that he discovered cement, a material that became central to his practice.
Today, he divides his time between studios in France and Arizona. His work is exhibited in several galleries and held in private collections across Europe, Asia, and the United States.