Bio
Maya Vivas is a multidisciplinary artist working in a variety of mediums such as ceramic, performance, painting, social practice and installation. Maya has exhibited work, spoken on panels and hosted workshops throughout the United States including venues and institutions such as Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Louisiana State University and Yale. Vivas is also co-founder of Ori Gallery. Whose mission is to redefine "the white cube" through amplifying the voices of Queer and Trans Artists of color, community organizing and mobilization through the arts.
Statement
Through sculptural gesture, absurdity, carnality, speculative fiction, and body horror, I navigate questions of diasporic body memory and space as filtered through the senses.
CV
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts : Ceramics - 2013
Bachelor of Arts : Graphic Design - 2013
Flagler College, St. Augustine Fl.
Speaking Engagements
Oct 14, 2019 - Portland Art Museum: 29th International Sculpture Conference - Panel Discussion - “Deconstructing the Gender Binary: Gender and LGBTQ+ Equality within 3-Dimensional Making Environments” - Portland Oregon
April 12, 2019 - Yale Center for British Art - Panel Discussion - “William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum” Co-panelists: Claire Barclay & Nate Lewis moderated by Nathan Flis - New Haven Connecticut
March 29, 2019 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - Topical Discussion - Co-panelists: Amanda Barr, Natalia Arbeleaz, Sara Jewell Olsen - “Talk Less, Listen More” - Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 20, 2018 - Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - Mingle and Muse Summer Event - Lecture - “Set in Stone: The intersections of clay & personal narrative in our quest to be seen, heard & remembered” - Otis, Oregon
March 15, 2018 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 52nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Clay and Culture - Panel Discussion - Co-panelists: Kathy King, Ron Geibel, Marval Rex & moderated by Dustin Yager - "New Queers Eve: LGBT Clay" - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sep 15, 2017 - Portland Institute for Contemporary Art - T:BA:17 - Workshop - "Asking for a Diaspora" - New Expressive Works - Portland, Oregon
Performance
Aug 7, 2021 - “a convoluted remedy to my soft hands” - Oregon Contemporary
July 23, 2020 - “a convoluted remedy to my soft hands” - Digital Performance - Wa Na Wari Gallery
Sep 6-7, 2019 - “Mia Habib: Poetry as Protest” - Portland Institute for Contemporary Art - T:BA:19
March 29, 2019 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - “WET: Performing UtopiaZ” - Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 15, 2018 - “Soft Between the Elbows” - C3Initiative - Portland, Oregon
May 5, 2018 - “Cvllejerx Ropa Vieja” - S1 - Portland, Oregon
May 4, 2018 - “Hyun Gi” - S1 - Portland, Oregon
Jan 17, 2018 - “Strewn” - Open Signal - Portland, Oregon
Exhibitions
June 18-Aug 8, 2021 - Group Exhibition: “Time Being” - Oregon Contemporary
June 12 – Aug 15, 2021 - Group Exhibition: “Bitter Cherry, Bleeding Heart” - Fourteen30 Contemporary
Feb 17 - Apr 20, 2021 - Group Exhibition: “Partial Permutation” Upfor
March 6 - April 19, 2020 - Group Exhibition: “Sexual Politics II” - Northern Clay Center - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 5 - 24, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “ClayFest Northwest” - Pottery Northwest - Seattle Washington
Oct 7 - Nov 26, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “Queeramics 2019” Foster Gallery - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep, 2019 - Solo Exhibition: “i have no choice but to suck the juice out and who am i to blame” - Littman Gallery - Portland, Oregon
July 3 - Aug 31, 2019 - Solo Exhibition: “In the Office: Maya Vivas” - Russo Lee Gallery - Portland Oregon
June 7 - 28, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “Queer Clay” - Pottery Northwest - Seattle Washington
March 29, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “Human Nature” - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb 14, 2019 - May 20, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum- Yale Center for British Art - New Haven, Connecticut
Nov 30, 2018 - March 8, 2019 - Group Exhibition: “In Plain Sight/Site ” - Artspace - New Haven, Connecticut
Sep 15 - Oct 6, 2018 - Group Exhibition: “View From Here” - C3Initiative - Portland, Oregon
Aug 3 - 24, 2018 - Group Exhibition: “Focus, Flow, Ground” - Project Object - Portland, Oregon
May 4 - 20, 2018 - Group Exhibition: “I’m Glad I Came” - ANX Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Feb 2, 2018 - March 22, 2018 - Group Exhibition: "Elements of Reclamation" - Ori Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Oct 3, 2017 - Jan 6, 2018 - Solo Exhibition: "Radical Emergence: Dissected & Articulated" - Chehalem Cultural Center - Newberg, Oregon
Aug 6 - 27, 2017 - Group Exhibition: "LA Artcore 3rd Annual Art Competition & Exhibition" - Jurors: Jacki Apple, Tulsa Kinney & Peter Shire - LA Artcore - Los Angeles, California.
June 9 - July 2, 2017 - Group Exhibition: "Fabriqué" - ANX Gallery - Portland, Oregon
May 20 - July 24, 2017 - Group Exhibition: “4th Annual Living Mark Exhibition” - Verum Ultimum Gallery - Portland, Oregon
May 4 - 31, 2017 - Solo Exhibition: “Black: Dissected & Articulated” - UNA Gallery - Portland, Oregon
March 3 - 31, 2017 - Group Exhibition: The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 51st Annual Conference : Future Flux - "Radius" - Rising Room Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Feb 2 - 28, 2017 - Group Exhibition: "RESIST" - UNA Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Sep 2 - Oct 2, 2016 - Group Exhibition: "Emerging Artists" - Columbia Center for the Arts - Hood River, Oregon
April 2013 - Group Exhibition: "Curated Unknowns 2": Art Center Sarasota - Sarasota, Florida
March 2013 - Group Exhibition: "Capture: International Video Art Exhibit" - St. Augustine, Florida
Awards
June 2021 - Bridge Fund - Foundation for Contemporary Arts
June 2020 - Support Beam - Regional Arts & Culture Council
Nov 2019 - Career Opportunity Award - Oregon Arts Commission
Dec 2018 - Professional Development Award - Regional Arts & Culture Council
May 2018 - Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot Award
2012 William R Kenan Jr. Art Scholarship
2011 Evelyn R. Waterhouse Memorial Art Scholarship
Residencies
Aug 2020 - Artist in Residence: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - Otis, Oregon
May 8 - 23 2018 - Artist in Residence: Caldera - Sisters, Oregon
Jan - April 2014 - Artist in Residence: Driving Creek Railway & Potteries - Coromandel, New Zealand
Affiliations & Memberships
Member: Artaxis - Joined 2021
Board Member: The Contemporary Art Council at the Portland Art Museum, 2018 - 2019
Member: The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Joined 2017
Co-Owner/Curator: Ori Gallery, est 2018