MARIA ALEKSEEV
Lives and works in New York
BFA, Printmaking, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
@opticvoidnyc
[email protected]
Maria Alekseev is a New York–based painter, printmaker, and sculptor whose work blends figurative and abstract forms with surreal, circus-inspired imagery. Drawing on identity, memory, nostalgia, and lived experience with chronic illness, her practice investigates emotional boundaries through narratives that are both playful and vulnerable. She has exhibited nationally, including at Art on Paper at Pier 36, holds three art degrees, and has worked as an arts educator in NYC public schools and community programs since 2011.
Selected Exhibitions
- 2025 Art Lab 50th Year Faculty Exhibition & Fundraiser, The Art Lab Gallery, SI, NY
- 2024 Art on Paper NYC Art Fair, Pier 36, New York, NY
- 2024 The Salon Show, Greenpoint Gallery, New York, NY
- 2023 Skeleton Crawl, Brooklyn, NY
- 2022 Staten Island Printmakers Show & Printmaking Forum, Art on the Terrace, Staten Island, NY
- 2015 Delicate Abstractions: From the Abstract, Form Emerges (Solo), Green Line Café, Philadelphia, PA
- 2011 Sick (Solo), Open Art Surgery, Staten Island, NY
- 2005 Familiar Tempo (Solo), Paula Barr Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
Special Projects & Teaching (2011–Present)
- The Dark Circus X Artist Collective (2020–2021)
Creator and curator of a collaborative, full-length streamed variety show integrating visual art and performance; oversaw production, video editing, and artistic direction for The Dark Circus X Premiere (2020) and Drink Me (2021). - Lead Teaching Artist in Residency, K–12 NYC Public Schools (general, special education, ESL)
- Teaching Artist, Art Lab, Staten Island, NY (adults, youth, special education & diverse learners)
- Private Fine Art Instructor (adults, youth, special education & diverse learners)
Full CV available upon request