Evolving elegance
Angelina Maia sculpts feminine cardboard lace sculptures.
All artists should be aware of their environmental impact. While there is a trend in fashion to create sustainable looks, most fine art is the definition of excess and luxury.
Sculptor Angelina Maia takes inspiration from ancient Greek sculptures to create feminine forms out of cardboard. It is almost unimaginable that the elegant sculptures she exhibits all around the world were once an ordinary cardboard box.
Originally from France, Maia has lived in Portugal for 30 years, based in Boliqueime for the past 14. It wasn’t until 2011 when she took a course in cardboard furniture construction that she pivoted from her background in business and leaned into her artistic side. She quickly fell in love with the craft and started making cardboard furniture and selling it in local shops.
A local gallerist noticed her cardboard lamps and wanted to show Maia’s work if she could create something more artistic. Maia took the next three months to expand her hobby into the sculptures that are now her signature.
At first glance, the sculptures appear to be made from metal. She told Algarve Plus,
“I like to imagine my sculptures as the remains of ancient statues that have just been unearthed and can be reborn. Some of them were inspired by friends and family who have suffered with breast cancer. I wanted to demonstrate through my work that the female form, even with one breast missing, is still beautiful despite life’s traumas.”
While her work hangs in galleries and private collections all over the world, one exhibition has been a highlight in her career. In March of 2022, Maia was chosen as the representative for Portugal at the 5th Art Connects Women, a major exhibition under the patronage of UNESCO held in Dubai. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the experience she had connecting with women from around the world was incredibly special.
Regularly showing her work around France, Maia’s work has grown from a fun hobby to a fulfilling full time job. With her studio in her garden, she sculpts exquisite feminine forms with company from her cat Flor.
Follow her on Instagram @maiaangelina and check out her website here to see more of her work and get updates on where she will be exhibiting her work next. She even offers courses in cardboard construction.