Maya Irving

Maya is a Naarm-based artist and performer, who channels her open creative process directly onto the canvas. Submerging herself in the act of painting, she merges with the medium crafting evocative abstract pieces that reclaim the naked female form.

Maya's incredible work traverses the intersections of creative and sexual energy, reclamation of the female body, and painting as a capsule to understand her relationship to her body's expression and sexuality without the policing, judgement or expectations of the external world.

For our first unofficial iteration of Body Language, I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing and exploring with @mayaairving in her home studio in Warrandyte.

I was inspired to work with Maya by her ability to express the often inexpressible, unseen, or unacknowledged parts of ourselves, and was curious to explore the similarities in the uncovering of layers that happens within deep, intuitive bodywork sessions. Maya started a painting, explored over two sessions - one before receiving a bodywork session, with the intention to express through her medium, how she felt in her body, and one after, to then layer how she felt in her body post bodywork.

The concept of this collaboration was born out of a desire to visually capture the internal experience of the body within these two moments, as bodywork is something purely tangible, and understood by another only through spoken word. For me, deeply experiencing our body through touch can take us places unseen, allow us to feel and unlock parts of ourselves unknown, and feels like a deeply creative practice, so it was a very special experience to see that feeling through Maya’s lens.

I was enamoured by the similarity between mine and Maya’s practices, both unique forms of creative expression, yet the similarities were palpable. From the initial pause and moment of tuning in, to the first explorative touch, the curiosity that permeates, an exploration of form and movement, the expression of emotion and feeling, and the depth of intuition and flow that encompasses both of our work. It was deeply beautiful to be enmeshed in the flow of creation and inspiration between us, our bodies, and our practices.