Complex figure finds work around media extremely lacking (7)
I believe the answer is:
oedipus
'complex' is the definition.
(Oedipus complex is an example)
'work around media extremely lacking' is the wordplay.
'work' becomes 'opus' (an opus is an artistic work).
'around' is an insertion indicator.
'extremely lacking' means to look at the middle letters (letters on the extremes are removed).
The middle letters of 'media' are 'edi'.
'opus' placed around 'edi' is 'OEDIPUS'.
'figure finds' acts as a link.
This may not be right. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for oedipus that I've seen before include "Tragic Greek king in Opus Dei" , "Tragic king of Thebes (with a complex)" , "tragic hero" , "King of Thebes who married his mother" , "He married his mother (and had a Freudian complex!)" .)