Visual Artist
Acrylic - Mixed media
Portfolio
Contact
All Social Media: @MGNapierart
website
www.mgnapierart.com
mgnapierart@Gmail.com
Maria Napier
Visual Artist
Maria Napier is a Colombian-American artist based in Charlotte. She earned a BA in Psychology and Communication Studies from UNCC which she uses to understand human behavior, expressing her observations through art.
Her “Deconstructed Style” fuses different approaches into colorful thought-provoking pieces that aim to inspire new perspectives on mental health and self-awareness.
She is a self-taught artist that uses acrylic and mixed-media to create her paintings. Her artwork has been featured at several venues and events in Charlotte, including Charlotte SHOUT, the Charlotte International Art Festival, VAPA Center, Flux Galleries, Hart Witzen Gallery, The Cabarrus Arts Counsel, The Artisan’s Palate, among other local venues. She actively participates in group exhibits and public art projects in the Charlotte Metro area.
Sample Works
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Colibri
Breathing in
Untitled
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Colibri
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
Inspired by the magical birds of Colombia 🇨🇴, the “Colibrí” (hummingbird) is regarded as a sacred bird and symbol of spirituality among some indigenous tribes in South America.
Location:
Currently displayed at Activation Studios Gallery in Charlotte, NC
*Available upon request
Details
Breathing in
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
Description:
Inspired by the energy at ONE Fest this painting was done live throughout the duration of the festival. She breathes in and feels the essence of the earth, the connection to nature, the wind embracing her body. She is ONE with the universe.
Location:
Created live at ONE Fest- Lenny Boy Brewing- Charlotte, NC. 2024.
Currently at Activation Studios *available upon request
Details
Untitled
Year: 2024
Medium: Watercolor and Acrylic on paper
Dimensions: 12" x 18"
Description:
Playing with color and experimenting with different mediums is important for creativity. In this watercolor/acrylic study, I intended to convey feelings of reminiscing about a place that you haven’t been to. A place of dreams. *unframed.
Location:
Available*
Details
Blooming Skulls
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic markers on wooden panels
Dimensions: 3.5" x 8" each
Description:
Small repurposed wooden panels painted with acrylic markers.
set of 5.
Location:
Currently at Activation Studios *available upon request
Details
Paz Valley
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 8" x 10"
Description:
In Imagining how my happy place would look like, I created color contrast and shapes that organically led me to this illustration. Peacefully broken into segments that fit together harmoniously.
Location:
*Private Collector
Details
Garden of Thoughts
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 8" x 10"
Description:
I often meditate using paint as my source for enlightenment. The colors, the shapes, the strokes tell a story unique to the moment you’re in. They translate your energy into visual form.
Location:
*Private Collector
Details
Untitled 2.0
Year: 2024
Medium: Acrylic pour and acrylic markers on canvas
Dimensions: 10" x 20"
Description:
This piece started as an experimental colorful acrylic pour with a layer of gold pigment once dried and sanded down in strategic places to reveal the color layer underneath. I find shapes and images in the chaos and bring them out by outlining them with acrylic markers.
Location:
*Private Collector
Details
Exile
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 36" x 36"
Description:
I created this piece thinking about my journey. Inspired by the following poem I wrote as I embarked on my healing journey:
She sat, hopeful to return one day.
Her home seemed so far away,
So far away from her dreams,
So far away from what she wanted to achieve.
So different from who she was.
She knew she loved her land,
Her people, her culture,
But the flame inside her burnt too hot.
So hot it couldn’t be contained
And they wanted to put it out.
Her home couldn’t provide
What she needed,
What she yearned,
What is was rightfully hers.
She needed to be free.
Free to explore,
Free to love,
Free to think for herself,
Free to have control over her own worth.
She knew she had to leave,
Leave her history,
Leave those who didn’t understand.
Her heart ached every time she remembered
The land that saw her grow,
But she knew she had to blossom
And teach others to glow.
To all the immigrants and the people who are away from home. I see you. Keep your fire glowing.
Displayed at the Hart Witzen Gallery, Charlotte, NC. March 2023
*Available upon request
Details
HOME
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on anvas
Dimensions: 36" x 36"
Description:
Home is a sequel to “Exile”. Inspired by exploring the idea that we take for granted many things in our lives and finding that place where you feel at ease, at peace, in total bliss, is in fact, special.
That place doesn't have to be a physical location. It could be simply being in the company of someone you love, or realizing that whatever is in front of you makes you happy, and most importantly, finding that place within yourself.
So no matter where "home" is, you can carry it in your heart and feel at peace with every breath.
Location:
*available upon request
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC-Nov 2023
Details
Reflections of the Full Moon
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
This piece was the inspiration for my Charlotte SHOUT Egg in 2023.
This piece also inspired this poem:
She looked at the full moon
Closing her eyes, she let go
Forgetting for a moment who she was
And in that moment she realized
We are all vibrations, energy, thoughts.
She realized that our thoughts can create,
Destroy and build,
All in one,
At the same time.
And that our essence holds the power
The power to transform,
The power to evolve,
The power to love,
To be kind,
With our thoughts,
In our words,
With our actions.
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palete, Charlotte, NC. Nov. 2023
*Available upon request
Details
Golden Gorgon
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on anvas
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
Description:
She’s breaking free.
She’s breaking the mold and changing her own reality.
She’s unapologetic about loving who she is.
She’s gone through so much, she’s been cursed, she’s been hated, yet, she breaks free.
She’s found the strength within herself to see that not everything that looks at her turns to stone.
She’s finding her happiness.
Location:
*available upon request
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov. 2023
Details
I Dissent
Year: 2022
Medium: Mixed Media on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
In times of oppression, use your voice (not violence) to fight. This is my tribute to an incredibly brave woman who stepped foot into uncharted territory for women.
She might be gone, but her legacy remains and we need to continue to fight for equality and freedom now more than ever.
There’s LOTS of layers and texture in this piece. Mixed media includes heavy acrylic paint, acrylic markers, gold leaf, and oil pastels ✨
Location:
*Private Collector
Details
Human
Year: 2023
Medium: Mixed media on canvas
Dimensions: 32" x 40"
Description:
Created for the THRIVE Exhibit at Charlotte Art League and inspired by the following poem:
Remember
You don't have a soul
You have a body
You ARE a soul
You're more than
A mortal vessel.
You’re infinite
You’re powerful
You’re Eternal.
You are here to experience
A human life.
to learn,
To cultivate,
To enjoy all that
Being human entitles.
You’re here to feel
To live in the moment,
You’re here to cry,
To be angry,
To forgive,
To learn,
To understand,
To love.
Because Love is the force
That glues the universe
Together.
You come from love,
You are love,
You glue the universe together
One human experience
At a time.
Location:
*available upon request
also displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov. 2023
Details
Connecting to Source
Year: 2022
Medium: Mixed Media on canvas
Dimensions: 30" x 40"
Description:
his piece is a reminder to connect to ourselves, to others, and to nature around us. I was inspired by a deep desire to express the need for us, as humans, to be kind, and to understand the true power of love and how it can connect us to everything around us, including ourselves.
*I utilized Japanese rice paper as well as molding paste for texture and added faux stones to create a whimsical effect.
Location:
*Available upon request
Details
My Body
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 9" x 12"
Description:
Often times throughout my life I’ve questioned the amount of control I have over my own body. As a female, I can tell you with certainty that it’s not much.
Our WHOLE lives we are told things that, not only limit our freedom of expression, but are also damaging to our self-esteem and overall right to be equal.
Location:
*available upon request
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov. 2023
Details
Breaking Through Time and Space
Year: 2022
Medium: Mixed media on canvas
Dimensions: 24" x 36"
Description:
Our constructions of time and space limit us to explore beyond what’s presented.
I invite you to break free of any preconceived ideas and start searching for your light.
Break free of the forces that bind you down and pressure you to live your life mechanically. As if you could only do the things you’re designated to do. Know that those “designations” are done by society, and not by your Higher Self.
Continuing to operate mechanically will perpetually bring you the same results and advancement will become an impossible task.
Do something different today.
Big or small, welcome change into your life and adventure to explore other possibilities.
Be daring.
Be creative.
Be the you you are meant to be.
Location:
Displayed at Flux Galleries, Charlotte, NC - Dec 2023
*Available upon request
Details
Higher Self
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
This piece comes from a deep state of meditation and mind exploration. Sometimes my higher self likes to express emotions or messages through my art.
In a sense, this is a self portrait of my inner most energy.
I started this piece with no plan. Just paint, brush, and canvas.
Meditation can take you to places you’ve never dreamed of… places where you can meet your higher self, your spiritual guides, your own energy.
Location:
*available upon request
Displayed at the Liminal Exhibit- Cabarrus Art Council- May 2023
and the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov. 2023
Details
Breaking the Loop
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
In a way, we’re all broken
but we are the all,
and the all is within us.
Eternal circle of life
Of death
Of rebirth.
A circle of infinite wholeness
Broken wholeness
Within.
Location:
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC - Nov 2023
*Available upon request
Details
Rebirth
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 18" x 24"
Description:
There’s a peculiar feeling I’ve had ever since I became aware of my healing journey.
A feeling of gratitude towards the universe, nature, and myself, and sometimes it’s almost as if I was born again.
And as I was “born” into this, what I call my new reality, I had to relearn how to think, how to love, how to feel (and I’m still learning). Because before this, my awareness, I didn’t know I had choices.
I didn’t know that we, our human bodies, belong to nature, belong to adventure, belong to love. I didn’t realize that self-love is imperative to growth, and that without it, we lay stagnant in our ignorance.
I’ve struggled with maintaining my mental health at a “healthy” level. It is an uphill journey, I’m still climbing, and that me, the one I’m learning to love, is pushing me to the top.
Take care of yourself and your mental state. Become aware of your emotions and how they affect your body and your loved ones. Awareness and self love.
Location:
*available upon request
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov. 2023
Details
Storm Within
Year: 2023
Medium: Mixed media on canvas
Dimensions: 36" x 24"
Description:
Even when healing, darkness can creep in.
Even in daylight, the clouds can cover the sun.
Conflicting duality can cause a storm, but the broken pieces still form a whole.
For this piece I used recycled tissue paper for texture, clay and paper maché to form sculpting elements and other texture. Each line and crevice were hand-painted to add a more texturized effect.
Location:
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC - Nov 2023
*Available upon request
Details
Eye See You
Year: 2020
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 30" x 40"
Description:
For anyone sitting in the shadows.
For anyone that doesn’t think there’s a way out.
For anyone dealing with depression, domestic violence or simply any crisis... there’s a world of light out there.
Reach out to friends, family or even a stranger.
Together we can break the glass and see the color.
Location:
Private collection.
*available upon request
Details
Shadow Work
Year: 2022
Medium: Acrylic pour and acrylic markers on canvas
Dimensions: 11" x 14"
Description:
Because sometimes, while doing your own shadow work you can feel like drowning… but know that there’s an ocean of possibilities when you learn to swim.
Keep working on yourself, love being who you are, and heal your deepest wounds with care. I see you.
Acrylic pour, finding shapes and sculpting with markers
Location:
*Private collector
Details
Transition #1
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 8" x 10"
Description:
Going from darkness to light and finding your way can be challenging. It comes with obstacles and even sometimes we get in the way of ourselves. Go on, don't stop, always search for your light and your happy.
Location:
Private collector
*Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov 2023
Details
Transition #2
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 8" x 10"
Description:
That moment when you realize that you’ve left the darkness behind and overflowed your space with light and beauty. The darkness is still there, but it is behind. Don’t look back. Look forward and enjoy the flowers.
Location:
*Private collector
Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC- Nov 2023
Details
Anger Island
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 11" x 14"
Description:
I was having a hard time accepting the fact that I felt anger and extreme sadness about events and behaviors that belonged to someone else. I didn’t understand the depth of the emotion that was consuming my energy and it was making me physically ill.
In the past, I’ve left similar emotions bottled down in my body for years. In the past, that version of me would’ve said “suck it up” and I would’ve ignored the hole in my heart. In the past, that kind of disregard for my mental well-being would’ve ended up in a depression.
But I chose to heal. I choose to let go of the heaviness of the negative energies and thoughts that don’t belong to me. I choose to express these emotions and instead of them crushing my soul, they flow from within in the form of color and movement on canvas.
I choose to let this “Anger Island” float away into the universe to be dispersed to create balance, not chaos.
I choose to heal and art is my vehicle.
Don’t hold on to negative vibrations. Let them out by painting, singing, dancing, speaking, crying, jogging, exercising, walking in nature, etc, ALWAYS with intention. Set your intention to let go and choose love and kindness for yourself.
Location:
Private collector
Details
Farewell
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
Description:
(all images and shapes in this painting are purely coincidental)
Just as the clouds can form shapes in the sky; shapes and images that can make us smile. A random unicorn-shape fluff, or the face of someone we miss. Shapes and images that get dispersed and vanish in the wind.
And as they come, they go. They're just there for a little while allowing you to smile and enjoy that moment.
And as I learn to enjoy the little things in life, enjoying the NOW is the most difficult.
Because we come, we go, we grow, and we disperse, in the blink of an eye, it seems.
Dealing with loss is difficult for most of us. But saying farewell to the parts of us that no longer serve us is imperative to healing.
I invite you to recognize what it is that you should say good-bye to. Observe it, and remember that sometimes negative experiences (or even toxic traits) can also teach us to recognize what we don't prefer.
Say farewell to that part that doesn't align with you anymore and make room for all the good things that are coming.
What images and shapes do you see?
Location:
*Displayed at the Artisan’s Palate, Charlotte, NC - Nov 2023
*Available upon reques
Details
