MARIA NEPOMUCENO
B. 1976
Maria Nepomuceno creates vibrant sculptures and installations that evoke the nature of organic forms. Utilizing a wide range of materials—including rope, beads, ceramics, gourds, wood, and woven carnauba (palm) straw—her work draws upon traditional methods of Brazilian craftsmanship, as well as her own personal techniques of braiding and weaving. The spiral form is integral to Nepomuceno’s work, in both a functional and spiritual sense. Drawing from a central point of origin, the spiral permutations expand outwards, suggesting the infinite movement of time and a vital energy of spirit. Rich colors pass and interweave smoothly into one another, imbuing her sculptures with a shimmering, pulsating quality: alive, and drawing in breath.
Maria Nepomuceno was born in 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, where she continues to live and work. She began studying fine art and theory at the age of 14 at the School of Visual Arts of Parque Lage, in Rio de Janeiro. She continued her studies in industrial design and scenography at the UNIRIO - Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Recent solo exhibitions include Maria Nepomuceno: Dentro e fora infinitamente, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA (2022-23); Roda das encantadas, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York, NY (2022); Maria Nepomuceno: Refloresta!, at the Portico Library, Manchester, United Kingdom (2021); Afetosyntesis, Stavanger Art Museum, Norway (2017); and Cosmic Teta, Barbican Centre, London, United Kingdom (2016).