Maya Vivas (b. 1990) is a multidisciplinary artist working in ceramic, performance, painting, and installation. Maya has exhibited work, spoken on panels and hosted workshops throughout the United States and United Kingdom including institutions such as The Portland Art Museum, The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and Yale University. Vivas is also co-founder of Ori Gallery; Whose mission is to redefine "the white cube" through amplifying the voices of Queer and Trans Artists of color, community organizing and mobilization through the arts.
Statement
I navigate questions of diasporic body memory, using sculptural gesture, play, carnality and body horror.
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Collections
Microsoft Art Collection
City of Portland Public Art Collection
Speaking Engagements
Oct 2025 - “Hey Friend, I’ve been thinking about money - A Discussion on Arts and Economics” - Auto Italia - London, UK
Sep 2023 - Portland Art Museum: Black Curator and Art Administrator - Panel - “Black Artists of Oregon” - Portland, Oregon
Oct 2019 - Portland Art Museum: 29th International Sculpture Conference - Panel Discussion - “Deconstructing the Gender Binary: Gender and LGBTQ+ Equality within 3-Dimensional Making Environments” - Portland Oregon
April 2019 - Yale Center for British Art - Panel Discussion - “William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum” Co-panelists: Claire Barclay & Nate Lewis moderated by Nathan Flis - New Haven Connecticut
March 2019 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - Topical Discussion - Co-panelists: Amanda Barr, Natalia Arbeleaz, Sara Jewell Olsen - “Talk Less, Listen More” - Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 2018 - Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - Mingle and Muse Summer Event - Lecture - “Set in Stone: The intersections of clay & personal narrative in our quest to be seen, heard & remembered” - Otis, Oregon
March 2018 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 52nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Clay and Culture - Panel Discussion - Co-panelists: Kathy King, Ron Geibel, Marval Rex & moderated by Dustin Yager - "New Queers Eve: LGBT Clay" - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sep 2017 - Portland Institute for Contemporary Art - T:BA:17 - Workshop - "Asking for a Diaspora" - New Expressive Works - Portland, Oregon
Performance
June 2023 - “a convoluted remedy to my soft hands” - Live Digital Performance - Wa Na Wari Gallery - Seattle, Washington
Aug 2021 - “a convoluted remedy to my soft hands” - Oregon Contemporary - Portland, Oregon
July 2020 - “a convoluted remedy to my soft hands” - Live Digital Performance - Wa Na Wari Gallery
Sep 2019 - “Mia Habib: Poetry as Protest” - Portland Institute for Contemporary Art - T:BA:19
March 2019 - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - “WET: Performing UtopiaZ” - Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 2018 - “Soft Between the Elbows” - C3Initiative - Portland, Oregon
May 2018 - “Cvllejerx Ropa Vieja” - S1 - Portland, Oregon
May 2018 - “Hyun Gi” - S1 - Portland, Oregon
Jan 2018 - “Strewn” - Open Signal - Portland, Oregon
Exhibitions
Sep 2026 - Solo - “Wherever You Go, There You Are” - One Grand Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Oct 2025 - Group - “Playsure Network - Experiments in Resistance” - Lewisham Arthouse - London, UK
Oct 2025 - Group - “Sitka Invitational 2025” - Oregon Contemporary - Portland, Oregon
May 2025 - Group - “The 50/50 Art Sale” - Oregon Contemporary - Portland, Oregon
Sep 2023 - Group - “Black Artists of Oregon” - Portland Art Museum - Portland, Oregon
Jan 2023 - Solo - “Playground at the End of the World” - Eutectic Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Feb 2022 - Group - “Real ID” - NCECA 56nd Annual Conference - Sacramento, California
Feb 2022 - Group - “The Universe Within” - Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami Florida
Aug 2021 - Group - “Convene” - Eutectic Gallery - Portland, Oregon
June 2021 - Group - “Time Being” - Oregon Contemporary, Portland, Oregon
June 2021 - Group - “Bitter Cherry, Bleeding Heart” - Fourteen30 Contemporary
Feb 2021 - Group - “Partial Permutation” Upfor
March 2020 - Group - “Sexual Politics II” - Northern Clay Center - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 2019 - Group - “ClayFest Northwest” - Pottery Northwest - Seattle Washington
Oct 2019 - Group - “Queeramics 2019” Foster Gallery - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 2019 - Solo - “i have no choice but to suck the juice out and who am i to blame” - Littman Gallery - Portland, Oregon
July 2019 - Solo - “In the Office: Maya Vivas” - Russo Lee Gallery - Portland Oregon
June 2019 - Group - “Queer Clay” - Pottery Northwest - Seattle Washington
March 2019 - Group - “Human Nature” - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 53nd Annual Conference: Cross Currents: Claytopia - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb 2019 - Group - “William Hunter and the Anatomy of the Modern Museum- Yale Center for British Art - New Haven, Connecticut
Nov 2018 - Group - “In Plain Sight/Site ” - Artspace - New Haven, Connecticut
Sep 2018 - Group - “View From Here” - C3Initiative - Portland, Oregon
Aug 2018 - Group - “Focus, Flow, Ground” - Project Object - Portland, Oregon
May 2018 - Group - “I’m Glad I Came” - ANX Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Feb 2018 - Group - "Elements of Reclamation" - Ori Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Oct 2018 - Solo - "Radical Emergence: Dissected & Articulated" - Chehalem Cultural Center - Newberg, Oregon
Aug 2017 - Group - "LA Artcore 3rd Annual Art Competition & Exhibition" - LA Artcore - Los Angeles, California.
June 2017 - Group - "Fabriqué" - ANX Gallery - Portland, Oregon
May 2017 - Group - “4th Annual Living Mark Exhibition” - Verum Ultimum Gallery - Portland, Oregon
May 2017 - Solo - “Black: Dissected & Articulated” - UNA Gallery - Portland, Oregon
March 2017 - Group - The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) 51st Annual Conference : Future Flux - "Radius" - Rising Room Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Feb 2017 - Group - "RESIST" - UNA Gallery - Portland, Oregon
Sep 2016 - Group - "Emerging Artists" - Columbia Center for the Arts - Hood River, Oregon
April 2013 - Group - "Curated Unknowns 2": Art Center Sarasota - Sarasota, Florida
March 2013 - Group - "Capture: International Video Art Exhibit" - St. Augustine, Florida
Awards
June 2021 - Bridge Fund - Foundation for Contemporary Arts
June 2020 - Support Beam - Regional Arts & Culture Council
Nov 2019 - Career Opportunity Award - Oregon Arts Commission
Dec 2018 - Professional Development Award - Regional Arts & Culture Council
May 2018 - Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot Award
2012 William R Kenan Jr. Art Scholarship
2011 Evelyn R. Waterhouse Memorial Art Scholarship
Residencies
June 2022 - Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts - Edgecomb, Maine
Aug 2020 - Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - Otis, Oregon
Aug 2018 - Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - Otis, Oregon
May 2018 - Caldera - Sisters, Oregon
Jan 2014 - Driving Creek Railway & Potteries - Coromandel, New Zealand
Affiliations & Memberships
Member: Artaxis - Joined 2021
Board Member: The Contemporary Art Council at the Portland Art Museum, 2018 - 2019
Member: The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Joined 2017
Co-Founder/Curator: Ori Gallery, est 2018