Maya Hiort Petersen

About

Maya was born in the Great Lakes region of Canada in 1977. Her parents had recently immigrated from Denmark when she was born. Both her parents are artists and so Maya grew up in a world of art and colours.
Taking art courses all her life and having an unlimited supply of art materials, she was always encouraged in her passion.
Maya graduated from the Canterbury School of Arts in 1995, where she majored in photography and etching. She began working at Calligrammes art gallery in Ottawa from 1993, where she worked for three years. Working at Calligrammes prepared her for working at an art and framing store in Toronto for almost five years where she learned to frame and handle fine art. Leaving Canada in the fall of 2003, she ended up in Seoul where she taught English as a Second Language. She continued to travel around Asia throughout her 18 months of work.

When her contracts in Korea were finished Maya traveled to India. From there she flew to Beijing where she traveled by train all the way to Saint Petersburg via Mongolia and eventually by way of Poland, took a ferry to Bornholm, where she still now lives. Bornholm is a wonderful little Danish island in the middle of the Baltic Sea, North of Poland and East of Sweden. It is famous for it’s special light and has attracted artists to it for centuries. Bornholm is known for it’s art scene and the amount of artists per capita is astounding and stimulating.

Maya has travelled in over 30 different countries, always with her old Minolta in her purse. She loves most to take photos of people, especially the elderly and the very young.

Maya also
draws inspiration from the art of children and their spontaneous
and unpretentious way of painting. She believes that the soul of
art is lost somewhat in the planning of a painting, and prefers to
let her emotions and experiences escape on to her canvas freely.
When she feels an artist block, she looks through her many art
books, or goes through her own childhood drawings.

Maya and her parents opened a beautiful gallery in an old barn from the 17th century. The gallery has become a sort of cultural centre, with music, slideshows and other events. Maya exhibits her artwork there with many other talented artists as well as with her parents. … Read More

Location: Svaneke, Bornholm, Denmark
Website: http://www.mayahiortpetersen.com
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos
http://www.redbubble.com

Work

Exhibitions and Project

2011 -Sept. - Nexø Skulptur Parken 'Tanker og virkedrift, – før, nu og altid.' - Invited to take part in a two week sculpture show in a park in Nexø. The show was in coordination with the yearly culture festival called 'Kultur Uge' on Bornholm.

Sept. - Galleri Glarmester – Invited to exhibit photographs in Bornholms Glarmester, Rønne Dk.

-Aug. - GALORE -Took part in the yearly art festival in Valby Dk. Showed drawings, paintings

-July - Double Photo Show - photography Exhibition in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke Dk.

- June - Foto Contest i Grønbechs Gaard - Took part in the 2011 photo contest in Hasle's cultural centre Grønbechs Gaard. Exhibited photographs from Bornholm

- June / July - Foto Udstilling i Gudhjem Mølle -Invited for a Solo exhibition in the Old mill in Gudhjem with a Bornholm theme.

- Feb. - Gruppe Udstilling i Galleri Korsbjerg - Solo exhibition of drawings and paintings in Galleri Korsbjerg in Middelfart, Fyn Dk.

-Feb. - Photo Exhibition / Multicultural Theme - Invited for a solo exhibition in the Firm Incita in Copenhagen Dk. Exhibited photographs from 30 different countries.

- Jan. - Svaneke Bryghus (Svaneke Brewery) - Was Asked to draw and design 4 beer labels in a special limited series. The beer labels will be on the Danish, Swedish and Finish market and are released one at a time throughout 2011.

2010 Aug.- Fra Klipper til Sand (From Cliffs to Sand) - Juried exhibition with 4 other artists from Bornholm in a unique space within the oceanside lock (manøvregangen) ' Hvide Sande Slusen', Jylland Dk.

Aug. / Sept. - SKRATCHY INKS III -Solo Exhibition of drawings, paintings and photographs in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke, Bornholm Dk.

Okt. - Galleri Glarmester – Invited to exhibit drawings in Bornholms Glarmester, Rønne Dk.

Nov. - Svanekes Årlig Jukekort – Invited to make the yearly Christmas card for the town of Svaneke. Maya was the 38th artist to be asked and her card was the very first ever to becompletely sold out.

2009 July - Sommer Udstilling (Summer Exhibition) - Group Exhibition with all international artists in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke, Dk. Showed paintings and ink drawings.

June - Sommer Udstilling (Summer Exhibition) - Group-Exhibition with 7 other local artists in Galleri Kaas in Svaneke, Dk.

2008 Aug. - SKRATCHY INKS II - Solo Exhibition of paintings, ink drawings and photographs in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke Dk.

July - Sommer Udstilling (Summer Exhibition) - Group-Exhibition in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke, Dk. Showed paintings and ink drawings.

May - Echoes of the Mind - Group-Exhibition in Galérie Calligrammes, Ottawa, Canada.
Showed ink drawings.

Feb. - Galleri Glarmester – Invited to exhibit drawings in Bornholms Glarmester, Rønne Dk.

2007 Aug. - SKRATCHY INKS - Solo Exhibition of paintings, ink drawings and photographs in Galleri Kaya, Svaneke, Dk.

Nov. - Galleri Glarmester – Invited to exhibit drawings in Bornholms Glarmester, Rønne Dk.

2006 Aug. - Drømmebilleder (Dream Images) - Solo Exhibition of paintings and ink drawings in Nordea Bank, Svaneke, Dk.

2005 Oct. - Kaffeslottets Efterårs Udstilling (Autum Exhibition) - Juried artshow in Gudhjem, Dk. Showed paintings and ink drawings.

2004 Nov. - Eastern Travel Shots - Solo exhibition in Café Chez Vous, Seoul, Korea. Showed photographs taken on travels through Asia.

2003 Oct. - Memories and Visions - Solo Exhibition of paintings, ink drawings and painted rice lamps in Gallery Off the Wall, Toronto, Canada.

July - Dream Drawings - Solo Exhibition of ink drawings in Gallery Calligrammes, Ottawa, Canada.

May - Solskinn - Two Man Show in The Scandinavian Canadian Club, Toronto, Canada.
Showed paintings, ink drawings and painted rice lamps.

2002 Nov. - Dundas West Arts Building Open House - Group Exhibition in individual studios, Toronto, Canada. Showed paintings, ink drawings and painted rice lamps.

Juli - Nathan Philips Square Arts show - Showed photographs and painted rice lamps.

2001 Oct. - Dundas West Arts Building Open House - Group Exhibition in individual studios, Toronto, Canada. Showed paintings, ink drawings and painted rice lamps.

2000 Sept. - Shadows - Solo Exhibition of photographs in Gallery 503, Toronto Canada.

1994 July - Graduating Class Exhibiton in Ottawa City Hall - Exhibition for the graduating class of Canterbury Art School. … Read More

Education

The following Galleries currently exhibit Maya's works:

Galérie Calligrammes, Ottawa Ontario, Canada (www.calligrammes.com);
Gallerie Kaya, Svaneke, Denmark (www.galleri-kaya.dk);
Off The Wall Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada (www.offthewallarttoronto.com);
Galleri Korsbjerg, Middelfart, Denmark (www.gallerikorsbjerg.dk) … Read More