SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Throughout the history of art, women have long been the subject of paintings and photography, but their bodies are often misinterpreted through the gaze of men. Artist Maia Flore realized this as an art student and sought to portray women without prejudice. But instead of working with models, she prefers to work alone.

“I feel sometimes it can be pretty violent to direct someone and say what to do,” explained Flore. “And in what I’m looking for, I have to sense it first. In any way, I have to experience it for myself first.”

What You Need To Know

  • Women.On.Women at Galerie XII Los Angeles features the work of Patty Carroll, Maia Flore, Mona Kuhn, Ziqian Liu, and Anja Niemi

  • Maia Flore studied at the Gobelins School and started exhibiting her works in 2011 at the Circulations Festival and at the Rencontres d’Arles

  • Galerie XII Los Angeles is located at Bergamot Station Arts Center (2525 Michigan Ave. Suite B2, Santa Monica, CA 90404)

Flore starts off every project by using a camera, although she doesn’t consider herself a photographer. Instead, she collects images and landscapes and inserts herself featured in poses that express what she’s feeling inside.

“I feel there is poetry in my work. I call it visual poetry,” said Flore.

Notably, Flore never reveals her face in her works. To her, the face takes up too much space and attention and she’s much more interested in expressing through her body and mind.

“I communicate better using props and finding what they could tell that what my face is not saying,” said Flore. “It’s also a part of me wanting to let space for other people.”

After growing up in the South of France, Flore spent seven years traveling the world before settling in L.A. where the hills remind her of home. And despite the immense beauty of nature she sees around her, Flore spends very little time with her camera. After researching, reading, and looking for locations and inspiration, most of the magic happens on her computer.

“I have all my archives and it’s kind of my brain where I go through it and time doesn’t exist at this moment,” said Flore. “I’m just mounting things all together until I can feel the sensation that I’m going through the curtain, like behind the curtain in a way.”

Flore’s work is part of a new exhibit called Women.On.Women at Gallerie XXII located at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. The show features the work of four other female artists from different backgrounds. Challenging the status quo, the art here is redefining what it means to center women in the art space.

For Flore, who insists on a need for diversity, showing her work in a group show in L.A. reaffirms her reasons for living here.  

“It’s a slow process, but I’m having so much fun with the consistent blue sky, the sun following me every day. It’s a magic and huge playground,” said Flore