María Brito is a Latin-American artist and activist. Her work has been described as "a representation of fantasy and nature, with the use of oneiric images, overlapped figures, and a background constructed by multi-colored brush strokes." Vibrant colors, curved and geometric shapes are characteristic of her artwork. Painting, mixed-media, and upcycled art, are the ways she creates. Her love for nature is reflected in her artwork, and it’s a way to express environmental activism. Part of her work represents memories of her country, Venezuela, and the struggles of its people in recent decades; many pieces have a symbolic character.
She was raised in a home where gardening was of special importance, surrounded by tropical plants and fruit trees. Concern for deforestation and destruction of nature has accompanied her throughout her life. She expresses constant interest in nature and its importance to human life. Her love for nature and the essence of the planet earth is reflected in part of her artwork.
As a Venezuelan migrant, she was a human rights activist for several years. Memories about her country’s nature, and feelings about her family and Venezuela’s struggles are reflected in some of her collage and mixed media artworks.
Her mother was a painter, and her father was a dealer of Venezuelan art. Growing up, she enjoyed her own gallery at home full of landscapes, naturalism, some cubism, and Venezuelan impressionism.
In 1993, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Architecture at the Simón Bolívar University of Venezuela. During her studies one of her focuses was in the arts. In 1995, she was certified in the Inventory of National Cultural Heritage at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Venezuela IPC.
Her interest in the visual arts, museum architecture, conservation, and restoration, led her to continue studies in the areas of museography, conservation, and restoration at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Venezuela, the National Council of Culture, the Contemporary Museum of Caracas Sofia Imber, the Museum of Fine Arts of Caracas, the Ministry of Culture of Spain (provided by the Embassy), and the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation (Rio de Janeiro).
While living in Venezuela, she worked as an architect, research and inventory of the Caracas Cultural Heritage, and as an artisan of Venezuelan terracotta folk art.
She left her country in 1998, and came back for a short period of time. She lived in multiple cities in Latin America as well as in the US where she found the opportunity to be in contact with the arts, while participating in several exhibitions.
Between 1998 and 2002, she continued her education on the language of arts, composition, color, elements of painting, and advanced painting at the Laura Alvim House of Culture in Rio de Janeiro, Neptali Rincon School of Arts in Maracaibo, Association Stimulus of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, ProArte Foundation in Buenos Aires, and the Glassell School of Fine Arts in Houston.
Maria Brito moved to the United States in 2001 where she lives in Northern Virginia. She loves hiking through the woods and capturing photographs of nature. Most of her artwork is developed at her home studio in Loudoun County.
During the time of the pandemic, she has been developing mixed-media artworks and paintings inspired by nature and planet earth. Her artwork has been in exhibits in the Washington DC metropolitan area and Loudoun County VA.
In 2021, her artwork was featured at Prince George’s Publick Playhouse during Hispanic Heritage Month, and in Washington DC at La Cosecha Marketplace Balcón for Women’s History Month. Additionally, she was interviewed by The Voice of America TV describing her work as “Export Quality Venezuelan Art,” and she appeared in the Winter Edition of Loudoun County Magazine as the Local Artist Profile. In 2022, three of her works in honor of Venezuela were selected for the "Estamos Aqui" exhibition at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, on the occasion of Hispanic Heritage Month. She was part of the group of 8 artists for “Featured Works,” an exhibition that displayed some of the best artwork in Loudoun County at Franklin Park Arts Center. In 2023, she has been interviewed for "Canvas Rebel" magazine, describing her path in the arts and her art installation, "Altares para Venezuela." One of her works was selected for the 2023 National Juried Exhibition at the Delaplaine Arts Center, and one of her paintings for the biennial (Not) Strictly Painting at McLean Project for the Arts. She is the Curator of the first exhibition in Loudoun County for Hispanic Heritage Month, where she is also part of the artists exhibiting.
CONTACT: mabvisualartist@gmail.com
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"I want to express my joyfulness at how beautiful and delicate is the natural creation that surround us. The greatest work of art is the living nature, it is perfection that gives us life, but human beings insist on dominating it, making it imperfect with acts to adjust it to their taste and comfort, even going as far as to destroy it. Understanding the beauty of nature, our connection with it and the need for it to survive, will help us live in harmony and save ourselves from extinction."
Maria A Brito - Most Recent Exhibitions
2023
• “Fiesta de Colores” art exhibition celebrating Hispanic and Latino Culture. Loudoun Government Center, Gallery One. Leesburg, VA. September 15 - November 3, 2023.
• “(Not) Strictly Painting” biennial. McLean Project for the Arts. McLean, VA. September 14 - November 11, 2023.
• “People and the Planet.” Touchstone Gallery. Washington, DC. August 2023.
• “National Juried Exhibition." Delaplaine Arts Center. Frederick, Maryland. USA. May - July 2023.
• “Plants are Life,” by Maria Brito, solo exhibition. Ashburn Library. Ashburn, Virginia. USA. May - June 2023.
• “3D Art Show.” Reston Art Gallery. Reston, Virginia. USA. April 2023.
• “Earthscapes.” Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. March - April 2023.
• “Galería Migrante,” organized by Casa DC Venezuela and Casa de la Cultura Baltimore. Nuestras Raíces Culture House, Baltimore, Maryland. USA. April 2023.
• “Color Love.” Falls Church Arts Gallery. Falls Church, Virginia. USA. January – February 2023.
2022
• “Bits & Pieces.” Falls Church Arts Gallery. Falls Church, Virginia. USA. November 2022 – January 2023.
• “Featured Works” juried exhibition. 8 Loudoun County artists showcasing some of their best pieces. Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. November 2022.
• Art Exhibition and Auction to benefit Charity Organization "Loudoun Cares." CIT, Herndon, Virginia. USA. October 2022.
• “Upcycled, Earth Love," by Maria Brito, solo exhibition. Birch Tree Bookstore Gallery Wall. Leesburg, Virginia. USA. September 19 - November 23, 2022.
• “Small World”. Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. September 30 - October 30, 2022.
• “Estamos Aqui.” Black Rock Center for the Arts. Germantown, Maryland. USA. September 17 - October 29, 2022.
• “Art Exhibition and Auction to benefit Non-profit Organization "A Farm Less Ordinary.” Barn of Murray Hill Estate. Leesburg, Virginia. USA. September 18, 2022.
• “Inspired by O'Keeffe”. Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. July 15 - August 21, 2022.
• “Art at the Mill, Spring Art Show.” Historic Burwell-Morgan Mill. Millwood, Virginia. USA. April 23 - May 8, 2022.
• “Second Life.” Del Ray Artisans Gallery. Alexandria, Virginia. USA. April 1 - 30, 2022.
2021
• Holiday Art Show. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center. Solomons, Maryland. USA. 2021.
• Art Exhibition and Auction to benefit the Charity Organization Loudoun Cares. CIT, Herndon, Virginia. USA. 2021.
• The Nature Conservancy 2021 Global Photo Context. Participation with 2 photos of the nature of Loudoun County VA. Virtual Gallery. 2021.
• “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope,” an exhibition of 2 Hispanic female artists in the occasion of the Hispanic Heritage month. The Prince George’s Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts. 2021.
• “Look What I Found in my Garden,” by Maria Brito, solo exhibition. Brambleton Library (2nd floor), Ashburn, Virginia. USA. 2021.
• “In Contact with Planet Earth,” by Maria Brito, solo exhibition. Brambleton Library (1st floor), Ashburn, Virginia. USA. 2021.
• “Out on the Water”. Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. June 11 - July 11, 2021.
• “Look What I Found in my Garden,” Solo exhibition. Cascades Library, Sterling, Virginia. USA. 2021.
• “Women Artists,” an exhibition of 4 Venezuelan female artists in the occasion of the Women’s history month, organized by Arte Original. La Cosecha marketplace. Washington DC, USA. 2021.
• She is part of the group of artists in the project "Art Memorial Covid19, Creation in pandemic time," sponsored by the Venezuelan artist and curator Lorenzo Antonio Velazquez. 2020-2022.
• “Stars, Night & the Winter Sky”. Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. 2020.
• “Community in Focus. Responding to the year 2020,” The Phillips Collection. Washington DC, USA. 2021.
2020
• “The Endangered, Can Art Save them?” International exhibition organized by Art Impact International. Washington DC, USA. 2020-2021.
• "Art Exhibition and Auction to benefit the Charity Organization Loudoun Cares.” Leesburg, Virginia. USA. 2020.
• “Fall Faces.” Franklin Park Arts Center. Purcellville, Virginia. USA. 2020.
Maria A Brito - On the Media / News
https://mujerdelsur.cl/exposicion-women-artists-dialogos-entre-la-figuracion-y-el-paisaje/
https://tonylorenzove.wixsite.com/artmemorialcovid19/Portfolio/Mar%C3%ADa-Brito
