Maria Alfaro is a Mexican-American printmaker, painter, and muralist. Born and raised in the small town of Acumbaro, Michoacan; she emigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2016. Here, she recently earned a BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2020.
Mediums: Woodcut relief printmaking, painting
Favorite Artist Tool: Rollers
Go-to Local Inspiration: Pat Perry art website
Mentor Compliment: Katie is a great mentor, was positive, made me hopeful, and I felt comfortable throughout the process.
Fun Fact: Back in the day, when woodcut printmakers would become popular they would design the art but had other people carve it out for them.
Serious Fact: Albrecht Dürer is one of my favorite printmakers.
Artist Statement
I am a Mexican American printmaker born and raised in Acúmbaro, Michoacán, Mexico. Most of my work is an exploration of my cultural and contemporary identity while also contemplating elements of the diaspora. One of the main themes of my work is understanding the broad term of “home,” as well as coming to terms with my personal past. Inspired by vivid, fragmented memories, absurd dreams, and automatic writing, my prints often depict overcrowding surreal landscapes that regard personal narratives. The scarcity of income and resources growing up influences the hoarding of imagery and what I value in life. While my work draws from childhood memories, it is also inspired by the rural farm lifestyle that formed the way I see the world. I no longer live in a rural area but seek opportunities to spend time in nature as often as I can. It is my secret place where I unwind from all the chaos of the world. My oasis, my home, my sanctuary is Mother Nature where I can get lost in the beautiful live sculptures that to most are just plants and animals.