BIOGRAPHY
Colombian-born, Brooklyn-based artist and curator María Dusamp creates sculptures that delve into the loss and recovery of innocence, desire, and intimacy. Her sculptures employ a rich vocabulary of visual motifs, metaphors, organic forms, and text to explore the complexities of childhood and womanhood.
Dusamp's interdisciplinary practice draws inspiration from a diverse background, growing up in Colombia and consequently safely immigrating to the U.S.
Fusing her parents' surnames, Duran and Sampedro, she honors their creative, loving, and intellectual legacies while forging her artistic identity.
Fusing her parents' surnames, Duran and Sampedro, she honors their creative, loving, and intellectual legacies while forging her artistic identity.
Following her BFA in Communication Design at Pratt Institute (2017) and MFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts (2020), Dusamp's work has gained recognition in contemporary art. She has exhibited extensively in esteemed venues such as Collarworks, Project for Empty Space, Wassaic Project, Winston Wächter Fine Art, La Mama Galleria, The Pfizer Building, and Artlot. Notably, she presented a solo exhibition at 24EBroadway. She has participated in virtual presentations with Dear Artists, Tutu Gallery, SVA Galleries, and the Flatfile Gallery.
Dusamp's artistic impact extends beyond the gallery walls. Her work and writing have been featured in publications like Art Zealous, 24EBroadway, and Dear Artists, showcasing her multifaceted exploration of the human experience.
Dusamp's artistic impact extends beyond the gallery walls. Her work and writing have been featured in publications like Art Zealous, 24EBroadway, and Dear Artists, showcasing her multifaceted exploration of the human experience.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Maria Dusamp's sculptures emerge from a profound exploration of the female experience, particularly the complexities of womanhood and childhood. Through a deliberate interplay of metaphors and organic forms, she excavates the psychological landscapes that endure long after physical and societal traumas have subsided.
Dusamp's process involves creating intricate rubber molds of her sculpted clay models, which she subsequently recasts with deliberate variations. This method serves as a form of self-analysis as she confronts her experiences of harm and resilience. Each cast, marked by its unique imperfections or "scars," becomes a tangible representation of an individual narrative.
A visual lexicon of entangled ribbons, prepubescent figures, and swirling forms underscores the internal turmoil and yearning for connection evident in Dusamp's work. The juxtaposition of light, heavy, tender, and resolute forms creates a tactile tension that invites intimate engagement. Drawn to the paradoxical nature of human experience—the fragility coexisting with strength, the innocence juxtaposed with trauma—she challenges traditional notions of beauty and form.
Inspired by the contrasts between Rococo opulence and pre-Columbian simplicity, Dusamp's sculptures aim to provoke contemplation and challenge societal norms. By subverting expectations of the sculptural object, she creates spaces for empathy and a critical examination of societal structures.
Image Courtesy of Alexander Si