Maria Vallier

My work begins with the observation of the body and nature, but does not seek to represent them literally. I am interested in transforming recognizable forms through curves, contraction and expansion, bringing them into an ambiguous territory between figuration and abstraction.

I work through tensions: fragility and volume, delicacy and weight, balance and transformation. A body can narrow until it appears vulnerable and, at the same time, expand into a powerful mass. Proportions shift, certain elements dissolve while others become exaggerated. Anatomy is no longer a rule, but a point of departure.

This exploration runs through both my painting and sculpture. In painting, it emerges through contour, large areas of color, negative space and overlapping organic forms. In sculpture, these same tensions become physical: curves create movement, contraction generates tension, and expansion concentrates the weight and presence of the form.

I am particularly interested in the moment when a figure can still be recognized as a body, a flower or a fragment of nature, yet begins to lose its precise identity. I do not seek to abandon the figure, but to transform it until it can suggest something beyond what it represents.

Material and proce...

• Berlin Art Institute (BAI), Berlin, Germany.

• Art Academy Foundation – Mentorship with Guillermo Roux and Alejandra Roux, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Regina Pacis National School of Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo – Estímulo de Bellas Artes - Sculpture Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Marble Sculpture Workshops with Trinidad Caminos.

• Sculpture Mentorship with Leo Vinci.

• Sculpture Studies with Sara Mansilla.

• Fundación Cazadores, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Palacio Museo Rómulo Raggio, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Selected Recognition

* Editorial feature, Saatchi Art Canvas, “How to Shop Art for the Dining Room” — featured artist, with the painting Blue selected and highlighted editorially.

* Featured in multiple Saatchi Art Curated Collections (2022–present), including Best of 2022: Sculptures, Curator Favorites: Metallics, and Latine & Hispanic Artists to Watch.

* Exhibited at The Other Art Fair Chicago, presented by Saatchi Art (2019).

Solo Exhibition

* 2021 – Espacio Cabutia Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Selected Exhibitions

* 2026 – Palacio Museo Raggio, Asociación de Artistas Escultores.
* 2023 – Zona Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* 2023 – MAPA Art Fair, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* 2022 – Facultad de Derecho (UBA), Salón de los Pasos Perdidos, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* 2019 – The Other Art Fair Chicago, USA.
* 2019 – Berlin Art Institute (BAI), Berlin, Germany.
* 2018 – Open Studio, Château d’Orquevaux, France.
* 2018 – La Noche de los Museos, 15th Anniversary Edition, Vicente López, Buenos Aires.
* 2018 – Fundación Cazadores, Sala Imán, Nada Dulce, Buenos Aires.
* 2012 – Arte Espacio Darwin Art Fair, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Additional Exhibitions

* Fundación Guillermo Roux (2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2...