ARTIST STATEMENT

Maria Spengel (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is based on creating emotional objects through traditional forms of making such as painting, sculpting, and fiber arts. Through her exploration of the body as a landscape, she shares intimate moments of love and hurt that have lived within her. She uses body language as a means to test the boundaries of portraiture, form, and gesture in a way that communicates emotion illustratively. Figurative self-portraiture is used to explore themes of intimacy, adoration, and discomfort within one's own body and the surrounding environment. Exploring the inner nature of one’s self through making is a type of therapy and meditation that can help to release heavy emotions from one's mind into the physical world. Through this exploration, she works to gain a clearer understanding of herself.

Handknit and crocheted fabrics are present in her work functioning as a tangible extension of the body. The labor-intensive repetition of textile art making infuses the artist's hand into every fiber of the piece. The familiar nature of a sweater or a blanket lends itself to expressing feelings of comfort and warmth in a tactile way. Through all avenues of making, she is interested in the act of forming an expressive object. Every stroke and stitch work together to create an abstracted representation of emotions. 

EDUCATION

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WI 

B.F.A., New Studio Practice: Fine Art Major, Art History Minor

EXHIBITIONS

2023 -

Gallery Opening Exhibition | La Gente Art Gallery | Milwaukee, WI

Emerging Artist Exhibition 2023 | Var Gallery 5th Street | Milwaukee, WI

2022 -

Movement | Teleportal | Real Tinsel | Milwaukee, WI

Senior Thesis | Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | Milwaukee, WI

Holocene to Anthropocene | Between Two Galleries | Milwaukee, WI

The Body | Gray Area in Hawthorn Contemporary | Milwaukee, WI

2021 -

The Delta Mini Show | Subspace Gallery | Madison, WI

Before We Broke Up | Var Gallery 5th Street | Milwaukee, WI

Junior Project | Between Two Galleries | Milwaukee, WI

2020 -

Small Works Gallery | Var Gallery and Studios | Milwaukee, WI

30x30x30 Exhibition 2020 | Var Gallery and Studios | Milwaukee, WI

PUBLICATIONS

2022 -

Curl | Wishbone Magazine Issue 14

2021 -

Clutch | Grain of Salt Magazine

Venus | Grain of Salt Magazine

Sea Slug Press 1st Edition Deck | Sea Slug Press | Milwaukee, WI