MARIA ESSWEIN
Originally born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Maria Esswein (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
She received her MFA in Intermedia in 2023 from the University of Texas at Arlington, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2020 from Southeast Missouri State University.
Esswein’s interdisciplinary work focuses on the exploration of gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. Her current body of work is a further analysis and challenge of the set ideals and expectations she was indoctrinated through photography and ceramics. Esswein has exhibited nationally such as Materials Hard + Soft Exhibition and the Texas Vignette 2024.
Artist Statement
“There is no totally natural or neutral body–even the naked body reflects the culture to which it belongs.” – Marianne Thesander (1997).
My work focuses on gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. The art grapples with the ideas and misconceptions I have about sexuality, intimacy, and identity. Through soft sculpture, photography, ceramics, and performance, I explore and challenge the set of beliefs and expectations I was indoctrinated in. Catholic ideology views sex as a valid, God honoring activity only through heterosexual marriage. Much of the discourse involves scrutinizing young women to ensure they uphold the value of purity. These teachings promote negative and harmful rhetoric that shames individuals for their experiences.
My work continues to highlight how purity culture is placed upon young women and girls and how it is enforced throughout American society, positioning women in a dichotomous and contradictory space where they are either pure or impure; pious or promiscuous. However, it has recently evolved to encompass the profound impact of memory and the metaphorical presence of “ghosts.” Ghosts in pop culture, literature, and media have been an interest in our society, representing several ideas depending on the individual. How we interact with a “ghost” or a past version of ourselves determines whether the experience with this memory was positive, neutral, or negative. I delve into the internal struggles stemming from my religious upbringing by manifesting these conflicts through apparitions and whimsical, child-like forms. By bringing these internal battles into a physical realm, my art invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with memory, identity, and the societal constructs that shape us.
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MARIA ESSWEIN
Originally born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Maria Esswein (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
She received her MFA in Intermedia in 2023 from the University of Texas at Arlington, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2020 from Southeast Missouri State University.
Esswein’s interdisciplinary work focuses on the exploration of gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. Her current body of work is a further analysis and challenge of the set ideals and expectations she was indoctrinated through photography and ceramics. Esswein has exhibited nationally such as Materials Hard + Soft Exhibition and the Texas Vignette 2024.
Artist Statement
“There is no totally natural or neutral body–even the naked body reflects the culture to which it belongs.” – Marianne Thesander (1997).
My work focuses on gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. The art grapples with the ideas and misconceptions I have about sexuality, intimacy, and identity. Through soft sculpture, photography, ceramics, and performance, I explore and challenge the set of beliefs and expectations I was indoctrinated in. Catholic ideology views sex as a valid, God honoring activity only through heterosexual marriage. Much of the discourse involves scrutinizing young women to ensure they uphold the value of purity. These teachings promote negative and harmful rhetoric that shames individuals for their experiences.
My work continues to highlight how purity culture is placed upon young women and girls and how it is enforced throughout American society, positioning women in a dichotomous and contradictory space where they are either pure or impure; pious or promiscuous. However, it has recently evolved to encompass the profound impact of memory and the metaphorical presence of “ghosts.” Ghosts in pop culture, literature, and media have been an interest in our society, representing several ideas depending on the individual. How we interact with a “ghost” or a past version of ourselves determines whether the experience with this memory was positive, neutral, or negative. I delve into the internal struggles stemming from my religious upbringing by manifesting these conflicts through apparitions and whimsical, child-like forms. By bringing these internal battles into a physical realm, my art invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with memory, identity, and the societal constructs that shape us.
Instagram
MARIA ESSWEIN
Originally born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Maria Esswein (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
She received her MFA in Intermedia in 2023 from the University of Texas at Arlington, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2020 from Southeast Missouri State University.
Esswein’s interdisciplinary work focuses on the exploration of gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. Her current body of work is a further analysis and challenge of the set ideals and expectations she was indoctrinated through photography and ceramics. Esswein has exhibited nationally such as Materials Hard + Soft Exhibition and the Texas Vignette 2024.
Artist Statement
“There is no totally natural or neutral body–even the naked body reflects the culture to which it belongs.” – Marianne Thesander (1997).
My work focuses on gender, art, and religion through a feminist perspective. The art grapples with the ideas and misconceptions I have about sexuality, intimacy, and identity. Through soft sculpture, photography, ceramics, and performance, I explore and challenge the set of beliefs and expectations I was indoctrinated in. Catholic ideology views sex as a valid, God honoring activity only through heterosexual marriage. Much of the discourse involves scrutinizing young women to ensure they uphold the value of purity. These teachings promote negative and harmful rhetoric that shames individuals for their experiences.
My work continues to highlight how purity culture is placed upon young women and girls and how it is enforced throughout American society, positioning women in a dichotomous and contradictory space where they are either pure or impure; pious or promiscuous. However, it has recently evolved to encompass the profound impact of memory and the metaphorical presence of “ghosts.” Ghosts in pop culture, literature, and media have been an interest in our society, representing several ideas depending on the individual. How we interact with a “ghost” or a past version of ourselves determines whether the experience with this memory was positive, neutral, or negative. I delve into the internal struggles stemming from my religious upbringing by manifesting these conflicts through apparitions and whimsical, child-like forms. By bringing these internal battles into a physical realm, my art invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with memory, identity, and the societal constructs that shape us.
Instagram