{"id":27812,"date":"2025-10-05T08:35:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T08:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/?p=27812"},"modified":"2025-10-05T21:54:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T21:54:21","slug":"maria-leite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/2025\/10\/05\/maria-leite\/","title":{"rendered":"Maria Leite"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"27812\" class=\"elementor elementor-27812\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e48aea0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e48aea0\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e384bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0e384bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 22-05-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Year of birth: July 8, 1973<br \/>Where do you live: Gainesville, Florida, USA<br \/>Your education:<br \/>\u2022 2017 \u2013 Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Diversity Studies, The University of West Florida<br \/>\u2022 2009 \u2013 M.Ed., Special Education, The University of West Florida<br \/>\u2022 2002 \u2013 Post Baccalaureate, Communication and Image, Pontificia Universidade Catolica &#8211; PUC-Rio<br \/>\u2022 1996 \u2013 B.F.A., Fine Arts, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro<br \/>Describe your art in three words: Experimentation \u00b7 Freedom \u00b7 Intuition<br \/>Your discipline: Theater \u2013 Set Design \u00b7 Visual Arts \u00b7 Education<br \/><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cristileite.wixsite.com\/photographyamateur\/about-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Website<\/a> |\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mleite.art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b54be85 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b54be85\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ddd89e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ddd89e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n<h4><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-27799 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait-219x300.jpeg 219w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait-747x1024.jpeg 747w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait-768x1053.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Portrait-600x822.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">How did your background in set design influence the way you approach painting and mixed-media art today?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">My academic training and professional experience in set design provided the foundation for my development as a visual artist. It exposed me to multiple artistic languages, including photography, painting, and more. What most strongly influences my current exploration of abstract art is the idea of manipulating perspective and the way lighting transforms a space. Lighting, in particular, inspires many of my black-and-white abstracts. I enjoy combining flattened images with converging perspective lines that often lead to nonsensical vanishing points. Many of my paintings reflect this willingness to defy formal technique in favor of pureexpression. I also draw inspiration from photography\u2014particularly images of light and shadow \u2014which connects back to my collaborative experiences with lighting designers during stage productions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27800 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore-300x231.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore-1024x790.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore-768x592.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-View-From-The-Shore-600x463.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Maria Leite | View From The Shore | 2023<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">What inspired your move from Brazil to the United States, and how has this international experience shaped your creative perspective?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">I originally moved to the United States as a student, although my degree at the time was in education, not in art. After graduation, I became a K\u201312 art teacher, an experience that allowed me to connect my background as a set designer and art educator in Brazil with new knowledge I was acquiring in the field of Special Education. This experience ultimately led me to complete a Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and diversity studies, in which I explored photography as a method to support data collection in qualitative research. In 2022, I had the opportunity to exhibit my research photographs in a solo show at the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center in Gainesville, Florida. Living and working internationally has broadened my understanding of cultural context and has deeply shaped my creative and academic practice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27801 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos-213x300.jpeg 213w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos-726x1024.jpeg 726w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos-768x1083.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Back-To-Chaos-600x846.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Maria Leite | Back To Chaos | 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">How do your academic interests in curriculum, diversity, and social justice connect with your artistic practice?<\/span><\/h4>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">When I first began teaching at a theater school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I quickly realized how much I needed to grow my knowledge of pedagogy as it applied to the scenic arts. My undergraduate training prepared me to be a set designer, but I had to learn to teach by doing the work. During the past 20 years in the United States, I have developed curriculum and pedagogy knowledge significantly, which allowed me to revisit my earlier teaching experiences with a more critical lens. During the pandemic, my former theater school colleagues and I reunited remotely to reflect on our teaching practices. This collaboration led to a book chapter (Leite, Fraga, Laranjeira, &amp; Sareta, 2023) in which we collectively explored theater education through a decolonized perspective founded in both literature and in our own early experiences as artists and educators. Diversity and social justice are inherently present in my art as well\u2014many of my pieces reference political turmoil, social injustice, and anti-oppression discourse.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27802 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Drowning-600x450.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Maria Leite | Drowning | 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Your artworks often combine layered textures and a bold use of contrasts. What materials or techniques do you most enjoy experimenting with?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">I enjoy experimenting with painting techniques, layered textures, and high contrast. Many of my pieces feature intersecting straight lines that create a sense of multiple dimensions\u2014this can also be seen in my photography. Collage is another process I enjoy, especially when combined with drawing or painting. Additionally, I have been curious about incorporating recycled materials\u2014such as paper, plastic, and even concrete\u2014to create three-dimensional objects.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Do you see a dialogue between spontaneity and structure in your work, considering your set-design training and academic research?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">Absolutely. There is an ongoing dialogue between intuition and structure in my work. Some of my pieces are carefully planned and structured, while others are born entirely from intuition, allowing me to create freely and respond to the process in the moment. Afterward, I often reflect on these intuitive works, analyzing them and occasionally shaping them into a more structured series or process. This analytical approach likely stems from my years of experience in higher education assessment, which has influenced how I evaluate and refine my own artistic practice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27803 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I-220x300.jpeg 220w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I-751x1024.jpeg 751w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I-768x1047.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Exodus-I-600x818.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Maria Leite | eXodus I | 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">What messages or emotions do you hope viewers take away from your abstract compositions?<\/span><\/h4>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">I hope my art invites viewers to engage with their own narratives and reflections. My pieces often tell stories that are not obvious, encouraging contemplation at a social, emotional, or political level. Some of my pieces hold hidden narratives that I plan to explore further in the future, serving both as reminders of the past and as guidance for the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27805 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View.jpeg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View-300x232.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View-1024x792.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View-768x594.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Maria-Leite-Fisherman-View-600x464.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Maria Leite | Fisherman View | 2023<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">How does the idea of \u201cdecolonizing art education\u201d influence your own artmaking?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p1\">For me, decolonizing art education means recognizing and valuing the cultural heritage, traditions, and unique experiences of each individual. In my work as an art teacher and set designer in Brazil, I collaborated with students and colleagues to create theater productions that reflected local culture\u2014even when the curriculum emphasized Eurocentric classics. To me, decolonizing art education means embracing representations rooted in African and Indigenous traditions, reinterpreting the classics through popular culture, and honoring the community\u2019s vision of itself. In my artistic practice, this philosophy manifests as respect for individual creativity and freedom, encouraging works that are deeply personal and culturally situated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Year of birth: July 8, 1973Where do you live: Gainesville, Florida, USAYour education:\u2022 2017 \u2013 Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Diversity Studies, The University of West Florida\u2022 2009 \u2013 M.Ed., Special Education, The University of West Florida\u2022 2002 \u2013 Post Baccalaureate, Communication and Image, Pontificia Universidade Catolica &#8211; PUC-Rio\u2022 1996 \u2013 B.F.A., Fine Arts, Universidade [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27812"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28433,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27812\/revisions\/28433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}