BIOGRAPHY
Maria Mayer studied at the Burg Giebichenstein Academy of Art in Halle / Saale, Germany in the textile class under Prof. Bettina Göttke Krogmann, guest courses in painting/glass class under Prof. Christine Triebsch and fashion class under Susanne Ostwald.
In her studies, she focused on experimenting with raw materials and initiated cross-class project in the university's glass department and collaborations with fashion designers.
In her laboratory, she experiments with colours and raw materials from our immediate surroundings, analyses traditional dyeing methods and applies this knowledge to her artwork.
Projects have been funded by the Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation, the Ministry of the Free State of Bavaria and other foundations. Project research was concretised on a professional level with FabLab Barcelona (BioLab) and Materialdesigners, Milano/Barcelona/London.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Raw materials and resources are mined and utilised far from our european home. Especially when dealing with textiles we are hardly in touch with manufacturing. In the creative process I want to get close to material and resource.
Are we aware of our close local resources? What does it mean for social structures and environment to approach them again?
What resources surround us in our plant world in our urban living spaces?
In the context of the great cultural heritage of natural dyeing, I extract pigments from plants that I collect from my immediate environment. In everyday ways, I examine my surroundings and illustrate them in the medium of textiles. In this way they can be perceived in their purity. The power of resources and immediate matter is made conscious.
The independent life of materials and their stories to tell is integral part of my artistic research, such as algae, corn starch, mycelium and bacteria.
Almost alchemistic, these substances become matter.
The body of material is examined in hanging in walk installations and wall hangings.
lives and work in Dießen am Ammersee _ Munich, Germany
* Munich
2018_2020 Birth of daughters Aurora and Amanda
since 2019 Alumni of University of Art Burg Giebichenstein Halle
Member of BBK, Professional association of visual artists, Germany
SCHOLARSHIPS/RECIDENCES
2022 Scholarship The Artists and The Others & Platform Munich, Build up your professional artistic backbone,
Summertraining for emerging artists, Munich
2021/22 Grant of the Free State of Bavaria grant program "Young Art and New Ways"
2021 Scholarship Foundation "Stiftung Erlebnis Kunst"
2020 Grant of Foundation of Art Saxony Anhalt and Foundation "Kloster Bergeschen Stiftung"
2020 Scholarship MaDe Material-Workshop in Milan/Barcelona/London co-funded by Creative Europe Programme of The European Union
boosting talents towards circular economies across Europe
2019 Grant ERASMUS+ FabTextiles Barcelona, Spain
2017 Residence Grant, Academie Galan, Frankreich
AWARDS
2022 Third Winner of international Award of Bavarian Arts and Crafts Association Munich BKV Prize
2022 Nomination Bavarian Award for Applied Art, Munich
2021 Shortlist Beyond Plastic Award
2021 Nominated "Newcomer" Federal Ecodesign Award, Berlin
2020 Nominated "Best FutureVision" Materialdesigners, Milano/Barcelona/London
2017 Nominated "Burg Giebichenstein Design Prize", University of Art Burg Giebichenstein Halle
PUBLICATIONS
2021 MaterialDesigners - Boosting talent towards circular Economies, Booklet by Politechnico
Milano | Elisava Barcelona | Matter London
2021 So long, Plastic!, by BeyondPlastic ISBN 978-3-00-067649-9
EXHIBITIONS
upcoming
2023 a.topos venice "creative room III" Navigating the city , Venice, Italy, curated by curatorial collective a.topos
2022
Cultural Forum "Blaues Haus", Dießen am Ammersee, Munich, curated by Dr. Silvia Carola Dobler
Gallery of Arts and Crafts Association Munich, curated by Dr. Monika Fahn
Gallery of Collective "Freie Kunstanstalt", Dießen am Ammersee, Munich
2021 Gallery feldfünf, Metropolenhaus, Berlin curated by International center of design e.V.
2020
Dutch Design Week Onlinefestival, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Isola Design District Online, Milano, Italy
Gallery Erik Bausmann, Mainz
2019 Material x Plastic, Gallery University of Art Burg Giebichenstein, Halle, curated by Prof. Aart von Bezooijen
2018 Foundation of Art Saxony Anhalt, Halle curated by Ute Mahler
2013 Pasinger Fabrik, Munich