About Lisa
Latina-American Artist
What I Do
Women Empowerment
The divine feminine is wisdom within each of us. She is the source of creativity.
Mixed-Media
Recycled Art
It is alchemy to transform discarded materials into beauty by re using said materials to create art. The possibilities are endless when ones eyes choose to see them.
Artist Statement
My artwork honors the divine feminine through the use of reclaimed materials.
By creating art from broken clay pieces as well as melted plastic bags,& melted plastic from menstrual product wrappers, I show the fascinating transformation that takes place in the creative process is reminiscent of the cyclical nature of the female body.
The reclamation of these often discarded materials mimics the reclaiming of our often ignored existence as women in our society. I invite viewers to embrace change as an opportunity for growth, to break free from shame, & to celebrate the power of the divine feminine. By transforming discarded wrappers into art, I hope to empower women to reclaim their narratives & find beauty in the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of being a woman.
I am greatly inspired by the resilience shown by women who have had challenging journeys, but have resisted the urge to give up. They have come out on the other side of difficult challenges, not defined by their pain, but able to shine bright through their brokenness.
My goal is to inspire the viewer to embrace change. Some paintings begin with a meditative free-form drawing which is then actualized with vibrant colors of whatever medium suits the piece. Other paintings develop from the different shapes found in the use and placement of recycled materials.
The transformation that takes place in the creative process is reminiscent of the metamorphic changes that occur through every living thing.
Life can be cruel and ugly, but it can also be magical and beautiful, I want to encourage the viewer to re-focus on the latter.
Artist Style
Lisa Maria Maya’s expressionist paintings reflect themes of female beauty, the power of imagination and the wonder of nature. The vibrant colors, undulating lines, and organic shapes that are common patterns within her paintings symbolize both life and joy. She is a painter of acrylic, and mixed media.
Artist Bio
Born in Queens, NY to immigrant parents from Spain and Puerto Rico, Lisa has been an artist since she could first hold a pen.
Lisa studied at the Art Students’ League of NYC, then at the Inter-American University of San German, Puerto Rico and graduated with an Art Education degree from NYU.
Later she continued her learning in Barcelona, Spain, where she studied sculpture and drawing. She has taught art and art history to students at various grade levels and was also commissioned to paint murals in various schools and public spaces both in Spain and NYC.
Her art work has been exhibited at the Greenpoint Gallery, the Plaxall Gallery, the Oxheart art collaborative and at various venues in NYC. She is a member of LIC-A (Long Island City Artists). Currently, Lisa is an ARTWorks fellow at JCAL:Jamaica Center for the Arts & Learningl. She leads art and creativity workshops for adults and works from her home art studio in Astoria, Queens.
Commissioned Artwork