Violeta Maya

Violeta Maya (b. 1993, Madrid, Spain) lives and works in Madrid, and received her BA from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2015. Recent solo exhibitions include, “La Santísima Brocha del Divino Descontrol” (2025) at Palau de Casavells, Girona, “Me atrevería a decir que esta pintura está viva” (2025) at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York and a feature as Artist Spotlight (2024) at Olivia Foundation, Mexico. Maya’s work has garnered the attention of major collectors and institutions, such as Jorge M. Pérez Collection (Miami), the Shah Garg Foundation (California) and the JP Morgan Chase Art Collection (New York) among others.
Violeta’s work explores the dynamics of time and space as well as the delicate interplay between control and chance. Citing cosmic and microcosmic metaphysics as a point of deviation in her work, Maya distills light, atmosphere, and a lyrical translation of color into compositions that reflect the constant energy and flow of life’s interconnectiveness. These canvases radiate a spirit and vigor as if the paint itself was activated in perpetual motion.

Maya freely deploys evocative color on wet canvas, a method referred to as alla prima painting, or wet-on-wet painting. Typically rendered in one sitting, the technique encourages decisive and bold moves throughout the making. As the acrylic washes and pigments interact with the soaked surface, the paint first saturates, then gets absorbed and moves through the unprimed fibers of the canvas. Embracing a certain unpredictability, the resulting brushstrokes are at once both a deliberate mark and an indeterminate act defined by the behavior of the materials employed. This polarity—between intention and chance— allows for a palpable tension in the work, manifesting an equilibrium between the impulses of the artist, the medium, and the process-driven approach to the work.