Maya Fernandes Kempe is a ceramist, sculptor and art tutor born in Berlin, Germany in 1975.
She studied philosophy and contemporary German literature (NDL) at the Freie Universität Berlin, graduated in Early Childhood Education and Art Pedagogy at the Pestalozzi-Froebel-Haus in Berlin and at the PÄDIKO Institute (Pädagogische Initiativen und Kommunikation) in Kiel. She founded ‘Espaço Azul’ (a place for artistic experiences for children) in Lisbon, Portugal in 2005 and has worked with the State Museums of Berlin (SMB) on various community art projects between 2007 and 2014. She lectures ‘Artistic and Aesthetic Education in Early Childhood’ at various higher education institutions in Germany and Portugal since 2009.
She trained herself in ceramic sculpture autodidactically and with various European Sculptors (e.g. Nathalie Schneider Lang, Phillippe Chazot, Christina Raedecker-Warter and Bodil Eide). She has been exhibiting her ceramic sculpture work since 2016, most recently at the National Museum of Natural History and Science in Lisbon (MUHNAC). She is part of the Portuguese Art Collective Convergências and a Co-Founder of Ateneu do Catorze - artistic and cultural center in São Luís, Odemira.
Maya works in her studios in São Luis and Berlin.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:
"Roda em Roda" exhibition of the collectively created sculptures during the performance RODA EM RODA, a project created and directed by artist Mariana Dias Coutinho, Olaria municipal de Odemira, PT
UPCOMING 2024:
November: "SEMENTES" Solo-Show at Espaço CRIAR, Odemira, PT
December: "SEMENTES", Solo-show at Micro-Galeria artistas IN vitro, São Luís, PT
December: "fantastic creatures" - community art project under the artistic direction of Maya Fernandes Kempe: exhibition of 6 large sculptures made by Maya and about 50 sculptures made by the project participants. Public reading of 6 texts by invited writers and poets; Olaria Municipal de Odemira, PT
UPCOMING 2025:
February : "Cerâmica XL" / convergências art colective, Museu de Alpiarça, PT
April: "Cerâmica XL" / convergências art colective, Centro de Artes, Caldas de Rainha, PT
June: "Cerâmica XL" / convergências art colective, Convento de Cristo, Tomar, PT
September 2025: "SEMENTES": Solo-show at Museu de Olaria, Barcelos, PT
PAST EXHIBITIONS:
2024
"Cerâmicas de Odemira", group-show in Olaria Municipal de Odemira, PT
"SEMENTES", Solo-show at Museu Nacional de História Natural e de Ciência (MUHNAC) in Lisbon, PT
2023
"Cerâmica de Autor", Convergências art colective at Galeria Atmosfera M, Lisbon, PT
2022
"Os Sítios da Água", Complexo Cultural da Levada, Tomar, PT
"Convergências", Oficina de Cultura, Almada, PT
"Catorze Artistas" at "D14 Catorze", Ateneu do Catorze, São Luís, PT
"Miniature" at Espaço 62 in Lisbon, PT
Solo-Show at TRÊS MARIAS, Vila Nova de Milfontes, PT
2021
"Convergências V - Cerâmica de Autor" at Galeria Arte Graça, Lisbon, PT
"Lugares mais leves que o ar" at Casa Jaime Umbelino/ Fábrica das Histórias, Torres Vedras, PT
"As últimas Fornadas" ceramic art show at Espaço CRIAR, Odemira, PT
"MOVEMENT MINIATURES" solo-show at Micro Galeria artistas IN vitro, Ateneu do Catorze, São Luís, PT
2020
"MOVEMENT MINIATURES" at Galerie und Goldschmiede Frau Kette, Berlin, GER
2019
"A Escultura Cerâmica vem a Banhos" - Centro Cultural e de Congressos, Caldas de Rainha, PT
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" Solo-Show at Galerie und Goldschmiede Frau Kette, Berlin, GER
"PARVA AREA" at Ateneu do Catorze / Montras de São Luís, PT
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS", Solo-Show at Festival Giacometti, Ferreira do Alentejo, PT
"Sopa dos Artistas 2019" at Igreja da Misericórdia, Odemira, PT
2018
"Exposição Raízes" itinerant group show at Cultivamos Cultura (São Luís), Museu Municipal Penafiel
and Biblioteca municipal, Odemira, PT
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" at Festival Montras de São Luís, PT
"Sopa dos Artistas 2018" at Igreja da Misericórdia, Odemira, PT
"Catorze Artistas" at Ateneu do Catorze, São Luís, PT
2017
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" Solo-Show at Galerie und Goldschmiede Frau Kette, Berlin, GER
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" at Open Air Gallery, Berlin, GER
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" at Eurofurence Art Show, Berlin, GER
2016
Group-show at Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, GER
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" at Festival Montras de São Luís, PT
"BEASTS OF THE URBAN WILDERNESS" solo-show at Ein Laden, Berlin, GER
