About The Artist
Maia Faith Hadaway is a figurative artist and visual storyteller based in Los Angeles, CA with a B.A. in Art from the University of California, Los Angeles (2024).
Maia (pronounced my-ee-uh), means midwife, nurse, or mother, and my parents say I was appropriately named—I’m a nurturer. I strive to cultivate spaces where people not only find happiness but also a sense of belonging. Drawing from personal experiences and observations, I give voice to those who constantly feel excluded by society, media, and history, amplifying their stories to spread love and empathy far and wide. Now, as a new mother to a baby boy, my artistic journey takes on an even greater urgency–to contribute to a world where he not only feels safe and accepted but also embraces the diversity of humanity.
Growing up in the Chicagoland area, with my mom from Jamaica and dad from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, I learned the value of embracing diversity early on. Inspired by this background, I advocate strongly for second chances and against prejudice, a mindset reinforced by works like Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy and the teachings of Colossians 3:13-14.
June 12, 2024
2:05am
What I find most beautiful about humanity is the balance of intricate differences and universal similarities. Despite our diverse appearances and cultural backgrounds, we share fundamental traits and emotions. Different eye colors, but we all have eyes. Different birthplaces, but we all generated a language to communicate the same things throughout time.
We may be conditioned to stress our differences, but there is no doubt that we feel the same.
Loss fills us with raging reds and sorrowful blues. Laughter has the power to paint our blues yellow. Love has the strength to render our harsh fiery reds into a rhythmic, beating heart.
In our most emotional moments when we let go and just…feel, for the time being, nothing else in the world even matters. These moments connect us. The plan? To unite people emotionally and spiritually by capturing the essence of our shared human experiences through art.
As I reflect on the creation of the “Lemme Do It” Care Series, I realize I had this desire before I even put it in words. “Lemme Do It” highlights the often overlooked acts of service and selflessness in everyday life–moments I initially perceived simply as acts of care. The act of a younger sister stepping on a stool so she can comb her brother’s hair (and him staying still for her, no less), or a big sister delicately lifting her sister’s chin to apply lip gloss, or a dad cutting his son’s hair and imparting wisdom, whether the son wants to hear it or not. What a beautiful thing it is to serve in such a way that does not benefit you, but the other person. There is so much love there.
It struck me why I never felt a desire to include background details in these pieces. Using a jigsaw, I cut out any indication of a scenic or personal ‘background’ and I now realize it was in order to focus solely on the captured moment. As I continue to explore and evolve as an artist, I carry with me the realization that my art is a celebration of our common humanity–a testament to the enduring power of simple gestures and shared experiences.
And what of the love that requires no work? I’m talking about moments of genuine human connection outside of service–where we not only feel appreciation for something being done for us, but the moments we feel appreciation for in our spirit.
Again, before my words or even thoughts could catch up, my paintbrush explored the weight of these pure interactions through the love languages of touch and quality time. Christmas ‘97, then He painted them laughing, Garage getaway, niggas writin’ poetry, and galentines–all foster togetherness through proximity and touch. As I started to shift my gaze and pay attention to the beauty in my life, I began to see paintings in everyday moments. In each work, I portray every character as though they are a painting themselves–full of brushstrokes, full of life. The collection of vibrant marks–in color and application–come alive as though the spirits of the subjects are emerging through the purity of the moment. When we live how the original artist intended us to, we transform into the masterpieces we were meant to be. Each of these moments of good, inexplicable feeling offer a glimpse into the potential for a life filled with love.
My art is a love letter to love itself, an endeavor that increasingly seeks to capture the ineffable essence of love in these transient moments.
I’ve been wrestling with a question. Why do we often feel more compassion for characters in a movie than for real people? Why can a fictional outcome bring so many to tears? Why do we feel for protagonists even if they make bad decisions? The answer I’m coming to is the power of the narrative–a fully realized storyline, a protagonist whose journey we come to understand and empathize with. All providing context for what led our protagonist to their highest and lowest points.
In response to my work, I am noticing something similar. Viewers often express a desire to occupy the transient space the piece’s subjects inhabit. My aim is to amplify this sentiment by transforming these subjects into characters. Characters who begin to appear and reappear in my pieces, allowing the viewer to see them in different contexts and understand they are more than a single moment, frozen in art–subsequently connecting with their stories and emotions. Through this connection, beyond resonance, they gain new perspectives.
I wonder. Who are we outside of work? School? Chores? What fulfills us?
It is these moments of personal enjoyment and fulfillment that truly unite us. Whether it's how we express affection or the activities that bring us joy, these shared moments transcend our differences. Whether we engage in a French kiss or an Eskimo kiss, or find fulfillment through music versus painting, our humanity binds us together. In our special moments, we find unity in the universal human experience—that's what truly matters.
The wisdom of Colossians 3:13-14 serves as a guiding principle in both my art and my life, inspiring me to cultivate spaces of love, acceptance, and understanding in an ever-diverse world. "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony."