Welker comes from Oregon. Her work grew out of her early years as a weaver. She makes densely layered installations about language both written and musical. She is interested in how communication takes place without either words or musical notations.

Welker is the consummate craftsperson. She spins thread from silk. She creates dry points but instead of putting them through the press and printing them on paper, she casts them in plaster. She hand stitches books. Ultimately she created an atmosphere of quiet reflection.

Lena Welker began her studies at Reed College and then completed a BFA in painting at the Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art). She subsequently studied tapestry, complex weave structures and handspinning with various instructors including Christine Laffer, Marcel Marois, and Madelyn Van der Hoogt. Welker has exhibited at numerous galleries throughout the country and was awarded an Individual artist Fellowship from the Oregon Arts Commission in 2002, a Regional Arts & Culture Artist Project Grants in 2000 and 2002, and the Pollock Krasner Foundation Award in 2008.