Maris O’Brien (b. 2003, Long Island) is a fine artist based in Savannah, GA. She is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design with a minor in Illustration. Maris’s work has been featured in multiple group exhibitions and publications during her time as a student and her paintings are held in various personal collections across the nation.

My body of work explores sentimental attachment, how the essence of home is imbued in our personal possessions, and how childhood experiences influence our tastes and styles as adults. This is largely through representational paintings of myself, my belongings, and in some cases, my favorite songbirds. My interest in birds started in childhood, as I’d paint wooden birdhouses from the craft store and use them as both dollhouses and decor. I call back to this in adulthood through my paintings, with birds serving as symbols of luck, comfort, and curiosity. The process of painting allows me to document and memorialize the keepsakes I hold close to my heart in current time and often serve as intimate snapshots of my existence filtered through an idealized lens. In regard to my process, I grew up surrounded by creative women who taught me the importance of working with your hands and exercising patience through skills like crafting, sewing, and embroidery. Nowadays, this informs my meticulous painting method and also the presence of fabric and pattern work that lies at the heart of many of the works