Artist Statement

Maya McFaddin

Fall 2011

An older gentleman on the bus sits down next to me noticing my Portland Trail Blazers t-shirt and offers his insight on the upcoming basketball season.  The kids on the playground welcome newcomers to their bilingual duck-duck-goose game and teach them the new words.  The commuter pulled over to help fix a flat tire for a fellow bicyclist on his morning ride to work. 

Inspiration for my art comes from the expansive collection of new perspectives, conversations, and relationships between people.

I see art as language; an interdisciplinary language that communicates new ideas and concepts and a language that is understood by all.  I believe in art’s power to create awareness and social change.  For these reasons, I use art as a means of expressing perspectives on political, social, and cultural issues.  I create art that depicts a current issue that is important to me.  During the creation period I can reflect on the issue and offer a new perspective through my art.  Most importantly, my work is about humanity and compassion for all.  Recently I have focused on immigration debates, resource depletion, communication norms, and tolerance and acceptance of diversity.  My art aims to raise questions and challenge comfortable thinking.

My work focuses on color and often includes recognizable symbols or objects, giving it a graphic quality.  I am fascinated with the possibilities of incorporating text into my drawings and paintings.  Like art, words are universal, and I am interested in exploring the combination to reach a larger audience and further the meaning and impact of the work.