About — MariaClara.Studio

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BIO

Maria Clara (Mari) Rios Cacua is a visual artist and poet working at the intersection of immigration, borderlands, ancestry, and archiving. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, and currently based in New York City; her work has been shown at the 25East Gallery, New York City and The Corcoran Gallery at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, Washington D.C., among others. She is interested in working within the language of printmaking and layering; existing in the liminal spaces, the in between, neither here nor there. She received her BFA in Fine Arts from the George Washington University with minors in Art History and Sustainability and an MFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design.

EXHIBITION RECORD
2024 yet traces linger, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery, New York, NY. Curated by Sarah Cho.
Invisible Persistence, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
2023 Cosmic Echoes, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
Traces, Leftovers, & Residue, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
Glimmer, Camp, & Gore, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
Murmurs of Time, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
2021 NEXT: BFA Thesis Exhibition, Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, Washington, D.C.
NEXT: BFA Thesis Exhibition, Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, online.
2018 Power of Community, Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, FL.

CURATORIAL CREDITS
2023 Traces, Leftovers, & Residue, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.
2023 Murmurs of Time, 25East Gallery, New York, NY.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
2017 “People of Berkeley.” Berkeley Preparatory School. Tampa, FL. Berkeley Collection & Vault.
SELECTED AWARDS
2023-24 Oscar Kolin MFA Fellowship, Parsons School of Design.
2022-24 Parsons Merit Scholarship, Parsons School of Design.
2021 Cum Laude Latin Honors, Corcoran School of Arts and Design.
2021 1st Place in the Visual Arts Category for “America the Great”. Samuel Eells Literary &
Educational Foundation Annual Undergraduate Literary Competition.
2021 1st Place in the Photography Category for “Levitating” and other works. Samuel Eells
Literary & Educational Foundation Annual Undergraduate Literary Competition.
2020 2nd Place in the Photography Category for “Pride 2019”. Samuel Eells Literary &
   Educational Foundation Annual Undergraduate Literary Competition.
2019 Outstanding Sophomore Student, Fine Arts Department Honors. Corcoran School of the Arts & Design.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2021 “Pride 2019.” Society Xaipe, Volume 16, Spring. Page 2.
2020 “Kaleidoscope of Hues,” From the Archives Zine, GW Speakers of the House: a Spoken Word Collective, Volume 1. Spring.
2017 “Controlled Drips II.” Phoenix, May. Cover Artwork.
2017 “Reincarnation.” Phoenix, May. Page 13.

LECTURES AND PANELS
2024 Panelist, Good Grief, moderated by Dessane Lopez Cassell, Parsons School of Design,
New York, New York.

PRESS
2024 “yet traces linger.” e-flux Education, May 2024.
2023 “Traces, Leftovers, & Residue.” 25East Gallery Press Release, Parsons Fine Arts, December 2023.

EDUCATION
2024 M.F.A. Fine Arts, Parsons School of Design.
2021 B.F.A. Fine Arts with a double minor in Art History and Sustainability, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at the George Washington University.

ORGANIZATIONS
American Alliance for Museum 2024 - Present
International Council for Museums    2024 - Present
College Book Arts Association 2021 - 2024

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
WR Arts, Teaching Artist. Jan 2025-Present.
PR for Artists, Public Relations Intern. Spring 2025.
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Coordinator: Visitor Experience & Interpretation. May 2024-Dec 2024.
Parsons School of Design, Teaching Assistant. Spring 2024.
The New School Archives, Graduate Archives Assistant. Spring 2024.
Andrea Geyer Studio, Studio Assistant. Fall 2022.
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, School Programs Assistant. Fall 2018-Spring 2019.