In a world overshadowed by “rubble and heartaches,” Cuban artist Maria Maher finds her safe space in the light. Empowered by Shams: Maria’s Journey of Hope and Light, presented in her latest exhibition, “Empowered by Shams,” hosted at Arcade Gallery in collaboration with Maison 69, is more than a collection of paintings; it is a testament to resilience and the sustained belief that no matter how deep the shadows, the sun will always rise.
The Seed Under the Rubble
The choice of the Arabic word Shams (Sun in English) was deeply intentional. Maria began this body of work during a period of profound collective sadness, using the sun as a metaphor for a “seed of hope” that persists even in the darkest times.
“I’m telling myself, Shams is like a little seed, but under all the rubble, all the heartaches and heart pains, that is growing underneath all that,” She explains.
This energy, the certainty that the sun rises every single day, is the driving force behind her latest creations.
“ Shams is inside me, I think for me is like it gives me the energy because I know even when times are tough that the sun always rises. Shams is always going to be there to rise the next day.”
A Physical Connection to the Canvas
Maria’s creative process is such an energetic one, almost an archaeological endeavor.
“I think about the universe, and I think about the plants, how they might be growing in other spaces that we’re not, that we’ve never seen before. So these kinds of things are what I do when I’m painting,” she explains.
Moving away from traditional brushes, she uses squeegees and spatulas to move paint that she puts directly from large tubes onto the canvas. This method allows her to build thick, emotional textures and dig into the layers of wet oil.
“I just like squirting the paint, and I move it around with squeegees or spatulas only because it’s easier to clean and I like the textures that they create,” She reflects on her painting dynamics.
Her technique is one of organized intuition. She often works on two or three paintings at once, transferring paint from one to another to maintain a sense of freedom and prevent the work from becoming too controlled. “I feel like sometimes my work gets a bit too controlled, and then I use the other canvas to have more freedom,” she notes. By scratching and carving into the heavy pigment, she describes her style as “painting from the back to the front,” unearthing figures as if she were on a cosmic excavation.
The Power of the Cosmic Female
The figures that emerge from Maria’s canvases are described as “Bigger than life”. These massively tall, cosmic female forms serve as powerful vessels for her message. By focusing on the female form, Maria seeks to give power to her gender, portraying women not just as subjects but as celestial beings of immense strength.
A Conversation with Albert
Despite the profound themes, Empowered by Shams: Maria’s Journey of Hope and Light maintained a refreshingly human connection to her craft. She famously talks to “Albert”, the name she has given to her own brain, to navigate the moments of overthinking during her process.
Her painting titles often reflect these internal dialogues, ranging from cosmic reflections to how life might grow in undiscovered spaces.
“If you look at the titles of my paintings, they make no sense sometimes. But there are things, instead of saying untitled, it’s just things that come to mind. And it’s a way for people to know a little bit about me,” Maria states.
Ultimately, Maria’s goal for the audience is simple: enjoyment. Through her thick layers of oil and sundrenched themes, she invites viewers to find their own “seed of hope” and bask in the energy of Shams.