Martina Maya-Callen

GW Corcoran School of the Arts & Design Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

Degree: Social Practice Master of Fine Arts ‘23

Email: mayacallengwu [dot] edu

Title: Inflating Breath

Material: Glass, Breath

PROJECT STATEMENT:

Inflating Breath

Our breath inflates our lungs and gives us life just as it inflates glass during the glassblowing process to create art. I breathe my own energy into every glass blown art piece that I create with intentionality and this process has been an avenue to decreasing my own anxiety, promoting my mental health. This material that is the consistency of honey at 2,400F is my safe haven and allows me to explore my own relationship with wellness and self-care – forcing me to be present in the moment. My desire is for the viewer to explore their own relationship with their body and breath and to maybe, just maybe take just a moment to breathe in the midst of all the chaos.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Through my art, I reclaim my voice and uproot the power structure that silenced it for too long. As a daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant whose home was riddled with violence, silence was embedded into me. Art speaks for me as words struggle to leave my lips. Becoming a vehicle for resolving conflict, both inside myself and in the greater world. I use a wide range of methods such as sculpture, performance, sound, installation, video, printmaking, and glass to translate the emotions from my traumatic history into creative experiences. My art is a protesting outcry on the hidden violence within our society and our own minds. My dedication to producing socially-conscious artwork began as the artistic glimpses of my own reality echoed in my community as people began to reveal their invisible scars of rape, domestic violence, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders. My practice is a reflection of pain, while also highlighting the strive for care and wellness.

BIOGRAPHY:

Martina Maya-Callen (she/her) is a queer, latina artist, researcher, activist, and educator. She utilizes the arts to find healing, uproot a culture of silence, spread awareness on social issues, promote education, and advocate for policy change. Her main area focuses include eating disorder, sexual assault, and mental health wellness. As an eating disorder warrior, sexual assault and PTSD survivor, she has researched these topics and holistic healing for nine years. She has presented on arts as a catalyst for social change at national and international conferences, the United Nations, and TedX. Maya-Callen is the Founder of Love Your Vessel International, LLC, a social enterprise using the arts to promote body acceptance and combat eating disorders. Her work was listed as one of the top five most inspiring body-positive moments of 2017 by Cosmopolitan. She has been internationally featured in Yahoo!, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, and Glamour, and her work has brought her to Argentina, Uruguay, Serbia, India, and England, evoking worldwide conversations. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Salisbury University with a B.A. in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution as well as a B.F.A. in Sculpture. She is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Social Practice at George Washington University. In her work, she has specialized in advocating for survivors of violence as she is the President and Director of Victim Services for March Against Revenge Porn and has worked as a Victim Advocate at an emergency safe house for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and human trafficking. Additional previous experiences include being a Fulbright Scholar, Trabajadoras Fellow, Congressional Fellow, and more.