Maria A. Guzmán Capron b. 1981
Joining together an extensive palette of vibrant and often playfully patterned fabrics to construct bodily forms, Maria A. Guzmán Capron’s practice explores cultural hybridity, a non-binary sense of self, and the competing desires to assimilate and to be seen. Born in Milan, Italy to Colombian and Peruvian parents and later relocating to Texas as a teenager, the artist recognizes the challenges of toggling between various cultures and geographies. The artist’s multilayered textile works offer a physical manifestation of the polyvalent influences that shape us, emphasizing that we consist of several identities—some that we repress and some that we exalt.
Composed with a variety of recycled, off-cut, and store-bought fabrics, Capron’s works merge privileged textiles with those that have been rejected and discarded as excess. By contrasting common fibers like cotton with more luxurious fabrics like silk, the artist addresses material hierarchies in art and fashion to parallel the power dynamics that exist within class and gender.
Building from this critical ground, Capron investigates how clothing is used as a tool for the performance of self—signaling the unrestricted spectrum of cultural identity. Drawing from immigrants’ experiences, she is invested in the friction of mistranslations—of failing to “dress the part,” or having one’s pride in self-expression overcast by exoticization or coercive assimilation. In addition to serving as a metaphor for society’s inequities, her use of mainstream and mass market materials functions as a subversive gesture to challenge the homogenizing capitalist landscape. Enlisting an intentional range of materials, including fabrics readily accessible to all, Capron demonstrates that the very fabrics used to reinforce hierarchies of class can instead be used to dismantle them while staging a space for difference to thrive.
Exaggerated body parts—signature moves in Capron’s work—render muscular arms that embrace, puffy fingers that clasp together, and slinky legs that intertwine to become one. Through eclectic fabric and subtly painted brushstrokes, these interlaced figures confront the viewer and become an invitation for vulnerability, openness, and individual expression.
Maria A. Guzmán Capron (b. 1981, Lives and works in Oakland, CA) was born in Italy to Colombian and Peruvian parents. She received her MFA from California College of the Arts in 2015 and her BFA from the University of Houston in 2004. Solo exhibitions include the Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, TX; Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA; Texas State Galleries, San Marcos, TX; Premier Junior, San Francisco, CA; Roll Up Project, Oakland, CA; and Guerrero Gallery San Francisco, CA. Select group exhibitions include Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA; Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA; The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, CA; Public Gallery, London, UK; NIAD Art Center, Richmond, CA; CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA; Deli Gallery in Brooklyn, NY; and Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art, Buffalo, NY. Her works have been written about in Hyperallergic, Variable West, Bomb Magazine, and Art in America.
Capron’s work is in the collection of the de Young Museum and she will be featured in a forthcoming group exhibition at Boston University, curated by Mallory Ruymann and Leah Triplett Harrington. She is a 2022 recipient of SFMOMA’s SECA Award and her work is currently featured in the exhibition, Respira Hondo, at SFMOMA through May 2023.
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronAhora Nunca y Para Siempre, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint70 x 100 x 3 in
177.8 x 254 x 7.6 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronDesátame, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint76 x 95 x 3 in
193 x 241.3 x 10.2 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronGata Salvaje, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint55 x 57 x 3 in
139.7 x 144.8 x 7.6 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronRecuerdos que Arden, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint70 x 46 x 4 in
177.8 x 116.8 x 10.2 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronTime After Time, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint61 1/2 x 48 in
156.2 x 121.9 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronLa Santa y Su Pecado, 2023Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint58 x 40 x 3 in
147.3 x 101.6 x 7.6 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronTu Me Tienes, 2022Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint84 x 42 in
213.4 x 106.7 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronDelirio, 2022Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint62 1/2 x 59 in
158.8 x 149.9 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronUn Paso Que Vibra, 2022fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint, latex paint and fabric paint61 x 60 in
154.9 x 152.4 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronMe Veo en Ti, 2022Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, spray paint and acrylic paint56 x 60 1/2 in
142.2 x 153.7 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronDuo, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint59 x 34 in
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronPiedra de Mar, 2022Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, acrylic paint and spray paint50 1/2 x 42 x 4 in
128.3 x 106.7 x 10.2 cm -
Maria A. Guzmán CapronTe Llevo Dentro, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint59 x 29 in
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronSiempre, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint40 x 62 in
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronSígueme, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint46 x 36 in
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronTemblor, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint34 x 36 in
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronMeterorita, 2016Fabric, thread, batting, stuffing, and paint128 x 47.5 inches
-
Maria A. Guzmán CapronAlba En Tanga, 2021Fabric, thread, batting, latex paint, spray paint and acrylic paint29 x 13 in
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Forma Seductora, Blaffer Art Museum, July 15 – September 18, 2022.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Forma Seductora, Blaffer Art Museum, July 15 – September 18, 2022.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Forma Seductora, Blaffer Art Museum, July 15 – September 18, 2022.
-
Maria A. Guzmán Capron (left) and Coady Brown (center and right) at NADA NY, Shulamit Nazarian, May 5–8, 2022
-
Maria A. Guzmán Capron (right and left) and Coady Brown (center left) at NADA NY, Shulamit Nazarian, May 5–8, 2022
-
Maria A. Guzmán Capron (right) and Coady Brown (left) at NADA NY, Shulamit Nazarian, May 5–8, 2022
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Celaje, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, November 13, 2021 – January 8, 2022.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Celaje, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, November 13, 2021 – January 8, 2022.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Celaje, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, November 13, 2021 – January 8, 2022.
-
Installation view, Intersecting Selves, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, July 10–August 28, 2021.
-
Installation view, Intersecting Selves, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, July 10–August 28, 2021.
-
Installation view, Intersecting Selves, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, July 10–August 28, 2021.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Olas Malcriadas, Texas State Galleries, August 23–November 12, 2021.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Olas Malcriadas, Texas State Galleries, August 23–November 12, 2021.
-
Installation view, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Olas Malcriadas, Texas State Galleries, August 23–November 12, 2021.
-
Maria A. Guzmán Capron
Pura Mentira 27 May - 1 Jul 2023Opening Reception: Saturday, May 27th, 6-8pm Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of new quilted, stitched, and painted textile wall works, alongside custom functional sculptures, by Oakland-based artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron. For her second solo exhibition with the gallery, Capron draws from the beyond-believable...Read more -
10 Years
9 Jul - 27 Aug 2022Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles is pleased to present 10 YEARS, a special group exhibition celebrating this milestone anniversary for the gallery. To mark the anniversary, founder Shula Nazarian and co-owner Seth Curcio have selected works by more than twenty artists from the gallery’s program. The exhibition will be on view...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron
Celaje 13 Nov 2021 - 8 Jan 2022Shulamit Nazarian is pleased to present Celaje, a solo exhibition of new textile sculptures by Oakland-based artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. Through a combination of hand-sewn textiles and paints, Capron joins together an array of patterns and striking colors...Read more -
Intersecting Selves
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Amir H. Fallah, Wendell Gladstone, Julie Henson, Ellen Lesperance, Ebony G. Patterson, and Tori Wrånes 10 Jul - 28 Aug 2021Shulamit Nazarian is pleased to present Intersecting Selves, a group exhibition featuring Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Amir H. Fallah, Wendell Gladstone, Julie Henson, Ellen Lesperance, Ebony G. Patterson, and Tori Wrånes. Each of the artists in Intersecting Selves considers the body as a barrier between the...Read more
-
NADA Miami
Amir H. Fallah, Daniel Gibson, Ken Gun Min, Maria A. Guzmán Capron, Summer Wheat, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Wendell Gladstone 30 Nov - 3 Dec 2022For NADA Miami 2022, Shulamit Nazarian is pleased to present new works by Berkeley-based artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron; Los Angeles-based artists Amir H. Fallah,...Read more -
NADA New York
Coady Brown and Maria A. Guzmán Capron 5 - 8 May 2022Shulamit Nazarian is pleased to present new works by Philadelphia-based painter Coady Brown and Oakland-based fiber artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron for NADA New York...Read more -
Art Basel OVR:2021
Maria A. Guzmán Capron 9 - 12 Feb 2022For Art Basel OVR:2021, Shulamit Nazarian is pleased to present new works by Oakland-based artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron. Art Basel OVR:2021 is a virtual...Read more
-
Maria A. Guzmán Capron featured in STUFFED at Boston University Art Galleries
Opening June 17th May 24, 2023Curated by Mallory A. Ruymann and Leah Triplett Harrington Opening Reception Saturday, June 17th, 6–8pm RSVP here » Boston University Art Galleries, Stone...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron "Respira Hondo" SECA Award Exhibition at SFMOMA
December 17, 2022 – May 29, 2023 December 17, 2022Respira Hondo 2022 SECA Award Exhibition Curated by Jovanna Venegas and AndreA Nitsche-Krupp ON VIEW DEC 17, 2022 – MAY 29, 2023 Member's Reception, December...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron featured at the Blaffer Art Museum
July 15 – September 18, 2022 July 15, 2022Forma Seductora ON VIEW JULY 15 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, Texas Curated by Tyler Blackwell, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Associate Curator Book...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron Recent Museum Acquisition
The de Young Museum July 14, 2022Major New Acquisition Funded by Svane Family Foundation Fosters Bay Area Arts Community 42 works by 30 artists provide snapshot of most pressing contemporary concerns...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron receives SECA Award
SF Chronicle: 5 Bay Area artists named 2022 winners for prestigious SECA Award May 4, 2022By Aidin Vaziri | May 3, 2022 The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has announced the 2022 recipients of its biennial SECA Art Award...Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron featured at the Contemporary Jewish Museum
Feb 17 – Jan 8, 2023 February 17, 2022Tikkun: For the Cosmos, the Community, and Ourselves ON VIEW FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 26, 2022 Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, California Featuring: Maria A....Read more -
Maria A. Guzmán Capron featured at the Berkeley Art Center
January 29 – March 26, 2022 January 29, 2022MIDAS: HOW ART BECOMES LIFE & LIFE BECOMES ART ON VIEW JANUARY 29 – MARCH 26, 2022 Berkeley Art Center, California Curated by Squeak Carnwath...Read more -
Now Representing Maria A. Guzmán Capron
November 21, 2021Through a combination of hand-sewn textiles and paints, Maria A. Guzmán Capron joins together an array of patterns and striking colors to fashion bodily forms....Read more
-
Artforum Must See – Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Pura Mentira
Editors, Artforum, May 25, 2023 -
Whitewall: Maria A. Guzmán Capron
Erica Silverman, Whitewall, May 1, 2023 -
San Francisco Chronicle Datebook: 5 SECA artists at SFMOMA show the vivid present and promising future of Bay Area art
Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle Datebook, March 8, 2023 -
KQED: SECA Brings the Refreshing Art of ‘Here’ and ‘Now’ to SFMOMA
Sarah Hotchkiss, KQED, January 18, 2023 -
San Francisco Examiner: SFMOMA SECA Awards reveal what Bay Area art is today
Max Blue, San Francisco Examiner, January 17, 2023 -
Galerie: 10 Standout Emerging Artists Discovered at NADA and Untitled Art in Miami
Paul Laster, Galerie Magazine, December 2, 2022 -
Artsy: Our Curated Guide to Miami Art Fairs
Annabel Keenan, Artsy, November 22, 2022 -
The Artsy Vanguard 2022: Maria A. Guzmán Capron
Isabel Ling, Artsy, November 15, 2022 -
ArteMorbida: Maria A. Guzmán Capron
Barbara Pavan, ArteMorbida, March 7, 2022 -
Berkeleyside: Faces, furniture, flowers are alchemically transformed at Berkeley Art Center
Jaimie Baron, Berkeleyside, February 21, 2022 -
Variable West: Editor's Picks — Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Celaje
Amelia Rina, Variable West, November 11, 2021 -
Hyperallergic: Maria Guzmán Capron’s Deliciously Tactile Fabric Figures, or “Hot Aliens”
Lauren Moya Ford, Hyperallergic, October 12, 2021 -
Elephant: Now You See Me: The Artists Questioning the Construction of the Self
Madeleine Pollard, Elephant, August 23, 2021 -
BOMB: One Piece: Intrepida by Maria Guzmán Capron
Bomb, October 19, 2018 -
Juxtapoz: Guerrero Gallery's October Exhibitions With Maria Guzmán Capron and Hilary Pecis
Juxtapoz, October 17, 2018