hi, i’m maya

artist statement

Within the realm of textiles I push the limits of subject and substrate. Through screen printing, knitting, unraveling, or slicing; I exercise my control as an artist. I am the one in power and I am unrelenting in my execution. Repetition is central to my work as each layer, process, and choice to build or destroy allows me to explore infinite paths along a narrative.

While I explore themes of mental illness, familial history and trauma, I invite the viewer to inspect and analyze the details in my work. The compulsive nature of my process echoes the constant, muddled thoughts in my head. Through obscuring family photos, I add nuance to my personal history. Displaying vulnerability shifts the power from external forces to something in my control as an artist. I invite intimacy to achieve mutual understanding with my audience. I treat every piece as a self portrait, and with every work I aim to show a larger picture of myself.

bio
Maya Looney (b. 1999) is a queer Mexican-American artist born and raised in Upstate New York. Through the broad medium of fiber art Looney depicts rich narratives revolving around identity, familial trauma, and mental illness, with a process based focus on the relationship between subject and substrate. Informed by queer and textile history, Looney explores the connections between herself, her communities, and the external world around her. Looney received a BFA in Fibers from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2021. Her work has been exhibited at Sulphur Studios in Savannah, GA. She continues her practice in Milwaukee, WI within the Milwaukee Makerspace while fighting for accessible artist spaces.