19 May – 18 Aug 2023
Studio 531 Architects Satellite Gallery
546 Herald Street
Viewable 24/7 from street
About the Artist:
Maija Maltais is a Canadian artist living in Victoria, BC. Born in Quebec City, she travelled the world on a sailboat, lived in Asia, Europe, Los Angeles, Mexico and made Vancouver Island her home base in 2006.
In 2004 she was caught in the deadliest tsunami in recorded history and that day changed her life forever. She was able to hold on to a tree and survive but so many people around her perished. She started to paint extensively after the event to rebalance herself and heal her nervous system. She has continued to paint daily ever since.
Trees are one of her favourite subjects to paint. She has a genuine reverence and respect for nature and dedicated her practice to one of the oldest forms of art, landscape painting. She wants to inspire others to reconnect with the simplicity of mother earth.
Maija also played in a French reality show watched by over 3 million people. Throughout that 3 month experience in Paris she showed to the French public that kindness, respect and happiness may not be as rewarding as making drama to gain popularity but after surviving real drama, there is no other way to behave in life, despite who is watching.
Creating a supportive community is one of the most important things to Maija. Situated in the heart of Victoria’s old Chinatown, her studio is a place her friends visit for healing and hope.
*All reference images used for her paintings are her own.
Instagram : @maija.maltais.art
Email : maijamaltaisart@gmail.com
