Miami-based artist Maria A. Guzmán Capron was born in Milan to Peruvian and Colombian parents before moving to Texas as a teenager. Those experiences of growing up between cultures play a big role in her work, especially in how she explores identity.

Capron creates vibrant textile pieces made from hand-dyed and painted fabrics. Each work is carefully placed together. Through her family and the way they helped her express her work, she encourages viewers to think about their own identities and how they’re shaped by culture, background, and personal experiences.

The Sarasota Art Museum is highlighting her work in the exhibition “Penumbra,” which is on display through Sept. 27. Lacie Barbour, associate curator of exhibitions at the museum, said the show “invites viewers to engage with art that reflects the beautiful, ever-evolving collage of human experience.” She added that Capron “creates multi-faceted characters that challenge traditional social hierarchies and expand compassion and care.”

Capron spoke with ArtsBeat about her work, her process and how her background influences the art she creates.

The Sarasota Art Museum is at 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. sarasotaartmuseum.org

Q: What does the title of the exhibition, “Penumbra,” mean?
A: “Penumbra” refers to the space between shadow and light. I’m interested in these in-between spaces because they allow for more possibility, they’re not as defined. It’s also a scientific term used when describing eclipses, where there’s a partial shadow. 

Q: Your work redefines shadow in a more positive way, can you explain that?
A: Traditionally, especially in Western thought, light is seen as good and darkness as negative. My work moves away from that. I see shadow as a positive companion, something that supports, protects, and exists alongside us.

Q: Were you always interested in art growing up, or was there a moment you realized you wanted to pursue it seriously?
A: From a very young age, I was interested in art. I was lucky that my parents had a lot of interest in art and took me to museums, so I remember seeing art since I was around six or seven. My dad used to draw a lot at home, and my mom too, and I have an aunt who is also an artist. So art was always around in some way. But I think going to museums at a very young age really did it for me. I felt like I was looking at paintings and sculptures, and this visual way of expressing ideas felt easier to understand. There was a connection there.

Q: Did you have any formal training?
A: Yes, I drew throughout my childhood, and then I went to the University of Houston for my undergrad in painting. Pretty quickly, I started using other materials during the program, and it was very open and supportive of that. Even though it was a painting major, that’s when I started working with fabric.

Q: Why did you choose fabric as your main medium?
A: There were a lot of things happening at the same time. I moved to the United States when I was 16, and it was a completely different culture from where I grew up. I started going to thrift stores, and there was a big “DIY”culture happening. I remember seeing all the fabric and patterns and thinking I wanted my work to have that kind of diversity.

Q: For people who may not be familiar with your work, how would you describe yourself and what you do?
A: I’m an artist. I work primarily with fabric, and I’ve been developing my art practice for many years. I’m Colombian-Peruvian, born in Italy, and I’ve lived in many different places. I have a daughter who’s a teenager now, and I live in California. I’m very close to my family.

Q: How does working with fabric allow you to express things differently than other mediums?
A: I liked that with fabric there was room to invent a way of making. With painting, I felt like there’s a long history and canon. Fabric also has history, but bringing it into contemporary art gave me more freedom, more “wiggle room” in how to create something.

Q: When visitors enter the gallery, they cannot miss the 15-foot figurative textile suspended from the ceiling that you have titled “Sombra.” Can you tell us more about this piece?
A: I’ve done large suspended pieces before, but this one is different because it really occupies space. I was thinking about how fabric folds and moves. I made a smaller mock-up first. My process starts with thinking about the pose and movement, then translating that into a drawing, a pattern, and then fabric and sewing.

This piece expands into real space, it’s not just layered flat. I wanted people to walk around it and think about their own bodies in comparison. There’s a dialogue between the artwork and the viewer’s body. It brings awareness beyond just visual experience—art can be felt physically too. 

Q: You mentioned the idea of “shadow.” What does that mean in your work?
A: I think about multiplicity within ourselves. A shadow is a real physical form of us, but it also represents something more. In my work, it becomes something that can face us, embrace us, protect us. It starts as a real phenomenon and grows into something more symbolic. 

Q: How do you typically source your materials?
A: I used to collect fabric from thrift stores, discount stores, donations, and friends. But now I mostly make my own fabric. I dye cotton using different processes, and I draw, paint, or screen print onto it.

Q: What is your process for creating the fabric itself?
A: I start with white cotton fabric and dye it before making the piece. I create large sections, about four yards, and treat it almost like a painting. It’s very intuitive. Then I cut that fabric and use it to construct the final work.

 Q: How big are your pieces on average?
 A: They vary. The large one is about 15 feet long, and others are around 40 by 60 inches or 50 by 50 inches.

Q: Have you experimented with other types of art?
A: Yes, I’ve worked with metal, making collaborative furniture with my husband, and also wood, creating functional objects like benches and tables. I’ve done a little bit with ceramics too, and I’d like to explore that more in the future.

Q: A lot of people my age connect with clothing and self-expression. Do you see your work relating to younger audiences?
A: Yes, definitely. Textiles connect directly to how we express identity through clothing. My work uses that same idea, patterns and textures coming together to form identity. I think people, especially younger audiences, can relate to that. It’s more about a bodily experience than anything else.

Q: Are your works in this exhibition connected?
A: Yes. The exhibition is based on the concept of shadow as a companion and support. I created four pieces specifically for this idea, plus a large one. Other works were selected because they also connect strongly to this theme.

Q: How has your family influenced your work?
A: Identity is shaped by our context, where we live and the people around us. My parents, sisters, aunts, and grandmother are all part of who I am. So they influence my work because they influence me. There’s no way to separate that.