Maria Vasquez

About

Peruvian self portrait artist based in Cardiff.

Statement

My work explores the beauty, complexity, and contradictions of the human form, particularly the female body and everything it represents. I’ve always been fascinated by the way we perceive beauty, sensuality, and what society considers acceptable. I believe there is far more to a person than what the eye first sees. Sometimes, what makes us uncomfortable says more about our own perceptions than about what stands before us. Photography gives me the freedom to question those perceptions and challenge the expectations placed upon women. Through self-portraiture, I create a world where I can express myself without asking for permission or feeling the need to explain. I am both the artist and the muse. Not out of vanity, but because there is something deeply empowering about being both the creator and the subject of my own work. Through self-portraiture, I take ownership of my image, my identity and the stories I choose to tell. I decide how I wish to be seen, what I reveal and what I leave to the imagination. It is an intimate act of self-expression, one in which I am free to explore every facet of myself without seeking permission or approval. But my work is not only about my own liberation. We still live in a world where too many women are made to feel that their voices, their bodies and their desires must be restrained, judged or silenced. I am deeply aware that the freedom I claim through my art is a freedom many women are still fighting for. In that sense, my self-portraits become an act of quiet rebellion, although sometimes there is nothing quiet about them. Where fear demands silence, I choose expression. Where society expects conformity, I choose to challenge it. My images become my voice, sometimes a whisper, sometimes a scream. And through that voice, I hope to speak not for other women, but alongside those who have yet to find the freedom to express themselves. Sensuality is an important part of my work, but it is never simply about the body. It is about emotion, vulnerability, strength, desire, and the freedom to embrace every aspect of being a woman without shame. There is also a playful side to my photography. I enjoy exploring the unexpected, sometimes with a touch of mischief. That sense of playfulness is part of who I am, and it finds its way into my work, even when the emotions behind an image are deeply personal or intense. I believe sensuality, vulnerability and playfulness can coexist, each bringing its own depth to my artistic expression. My photographs move between reality and fantasy, often reflecting feelings I cannot easily put into words. Some are bold, others quiet and intimate. Each one reveals something of who I am, or perhaps who I am becoming. Above all, my work is an expression of freedom. The freedom to explore, to question, to be vulnerable, to be sensual, and to exist beyond the expectations of others. I create because it allows me to be entirely myself.