Face to Face, 2016. Mixed media mono print, 12 x 16”
Soup Cure, 2016. Mixed media mono print, 12 x 16”
Stolen, 2016. Mixed media mono print, 12 x 16″
Sleepwalker, 2016. mixed media mono print, 12 x 16″
Maria Lee
Artist Statement 2018:
My artwork is a mirror of what’s my greatest concern at that moment. You might say, my work is about the elephant in the room. Subjects shift from my surroundings (inspired by my love of travel), to life changing experiences (loss), to reflections of childhood memories, and the current political climate. I work in various media that shifts as well: printmaking, bookmaking, collage and painting. I love to work in series and will end a series after the ideas exhaust themselves.
Four images here are from a series called: “The Shape of Loss: Flying with Eyes Closed” . The work was inspired from a lucid dream of flying with my father. My dad passed in 1971 at age 40 from lung cancer, I was 8 years old. Dealing with complicated grief, I experienced an upwelling of imagery, knowing the making of this work was therapeutic. In parallel, I feel the work I am making now about resistance is also therapeutic, a response to surviving the horrific assault we are facing in America and the world.
Maria Lee is a printmaker, painter and bookmaker in Tucson, AZ. Born in Hawaii, with an MFA in printmaking from the University of Arizona, she currently teaches Book Arts at Pima Community College and has a cool part time job conserving objects with the National Parks (i.e. Indian pots). She is inspired by travel (especially foreign places), all things related to France, solo hikes, cats and whales and the sea. She considers herself a foodie (though she is 90% vegan) and a minimalist, with a goal to own only whatever can fit into her car (and a goal to not own a car).