About
Greetings! It’s Maria.
Maria Camia, creator of the MARICAMA brand and universe, is a Filipino American Director, Playwright, and Spiritual Visual Theatre Artist who creates Puppet Theater, Visual Art, and Fashion with the intention to globally inspire healing and play. Her transformative storytelling leaves audiences rewired and enlightened to the infinite potential of the MARICAMA mindset.
She has performed original work for established theaters including The Henson Company, La Mama, and Chicago’s International Puppet Festival.
Overall, spirituality, mindfulness, and body awareness are the fundamental principles behind any work Maria creates and has inspired her journey of becoming an Introspective Hypnosis Practitioner. Through this application, Maria guides individuals on a voyage of self-exploration, healing, and cleansing. Her goal is to regenerate a reality of courageous action and deserving self-love.
Artist Statement
Art has always freed me from the suffering of the world. I could draw my worries away and connect with something greater. When I was five years old, I won first place in my elementary school’s coloring contest because my mom took the initiative to go to Target late in the evening to buy glitter crayons. She continued to support my artistic practice buying me sketchbooks, art drawing books, and visiting the library. Quickly crayons turned into markers that turned into paintbrushes. Television shows like Lambchop’s Playhouse, Pappy’s Land, Mr. Ratburn from Arthur, and Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street introduced the importance of play which is the fundamental focus of my work today. Throughout school, art teachers and professors from elementary school to grad school have guided me and eventually led me to puppetry. After visiting Guatemala in 2010, my work then settled into themes of unity consciousness. This is where I learned about Mayan mythology’s The Hero Twins and the Mayan calendar. Five year old Maria and her glitter crayons have come a long way.
Today, I am the creator of Aricama: the spiritual / sci-fi world of practice, play, and healing. Through puppetry, playwriting, illustration, musical composition, and fashion, my art explores a liberated universe that exercises its fullest potential through fun. Curious about preserving the legacy of Filipino ancestry before Spanish colonization, my work strives to bridge my genealogy with galactic futurism. My research interests span the fields of Filipino and Mayan mythology, Vedic astrology, extraterrestrial studies, and theories of Hollow Earth.
Aricama has its own culture with its own spiritual clothing, rituals, and calendar. The map looks like eight circles that are all separate colors of the rainbow, surrounding one giant marble coliseum in the center. This is the theater, the space that brings the entire community together. All of my creations, from a sweater to a puppet show, intend to bring the viewer back to the self as our attention is always pulled outward. My art has become my spiritual practice and protection. I intend to connect and ground an impossible future into our physical reality with first, more breath and more awareness, then, more fun and more abundance.
CV
EDUCATION
2017: Master of Fine Arts in Theater at Sarah Lawrence College
2013: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture + Extended Media at Virginia Commonwealth University
ENERGY WORK
2020: Introspective Hypnosis Practitioner
2018: Reiki Level 2
HONORS/AWARDS
2023: The Miranda Family Grant for The Healing Shipment
2023: The Puffin Grant for The Healing Shipment
2023: NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music, and Theatre for The Healing Shipment
2023: Jim Henson Production Grant for The Healing Shipment
2022: Jim Henson Workshop Grant for The Healing Shipment
2021: City Arts Corps Grant
2021: AIR Residency at Dixon Place funded by Cheryl Henson
2021: Covid Relief Puppeteers of America
2020: Jim Henson Workshop Grant for NEW MONY!
2013: Ruth Camp Foundation Scholarship in Honor of Han Schroder
2013: Naomi Winston Scholarship in Art
2012-2013: Richard Carlyon Student Research Fund for Independent Study
RESIDENCIES
2024: Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mountain Lake, NY
2023-2024: Museum of Chinese in America, Chinatown NY
2023: PATCH: Puppetry at the Carriage House, NY
2022: La Mama Experimental Club Puppet Residency
2020: Dixon Place Residency supported by the Henson Foundation
2018-2019: Object Movement at The Center @ West Park
REVIEWS / NEWS
2024: Episode 102 - Experimental Puppet Theater with Maria Camia | Mx Asian American Podcast
2024: Meet Maria Camia | Canvas Rebel
2023: La MaMa Puppet Festival / ARTEIDOLIA
2023: Tales That Crackle With Vitality, With or Without a Puppeteer / New York Times
2023: Museum of Chinese in America launches residency program / The Villager
2023: Fil-Am puppeteer conjures imaginary friends | USA Inquirer
2022: The World of Aricama: A Conversation with Maria Camia About Virtually-Performed Puppetry, Hypnotism, and Coloring Contests | The HOLE NYC
2022: Maria Camia’s Maria Reads a Book at Coney Island: Vaudevisuals
2022: Vaudevisual Interview with Maria Camia ~ “Maria Reads a Book” | Vaudevisuals
2021: NEW MONY! and Interview with Playwright Maria Camia | HVY
2018: Making History with the Mural Festival | Fourth Estate
2016: ARICAMA: A Galactic Landing Review
2013: Gothamist: The Cutest Bookworms of NYC Book Fair (lol)
2013: Translations RVA RAW Artists Show (at 17: 42)
2013: The Soul of the American Actor- Bread and Puppet Theater
2013: The Naomi Winston Scholarship in Art
2013: The Commonwealth Times
ORIGINAL WORK / DIRECTING
2024: Maria Reads a Book: Ari and The Anger Eating Dragon,
Mid Autumn Festival, Queens NY
2024: Aricama Liberation, Museum of Chinese in America, NY
2024: Maria Reads a Book: F*cked Flower’s Flight Into Speedy Vibrations,
Blood From a Turnip Puppet Slam, Firehouse Theatre, Richmond, VA
2024: The Creative Counseling Cuisine Retreat to Revive Dead Broken Dreams,
GRAY SPACES Curated by Lisa Clair, wildproject NYC
2023: The Healing Shipment, La MaMa Puppet Festival, NY
2023: Maria Reads a Book: F*cked Flower’s Flight Into Speedy Vibrations,
secret pour, NY
2022: The Healing Shipment Excerpt, La Mama, NY
2022: Maria Reads a Book, Marikata’s Sweaty Power Hour Coney Island, NY
2022: Maria Reads a Book: F*cked Flower’s Flight Into Speedy Vibrations,
Village Works, NY
2022: Maria Reads a Book: F*cked Flower’s Flight Into Speedy Vibrations, The Tank, NY
2022: Maria Reads a Book: F*cked Flower’s Flight Into Speedy Vibrations,
Asian Film Thing, littlefield, NY
2022: NEW MONY!, Chopin Theater, Chicago International Puppet Festival, IL
2021: NEW MONY!, Dixon Place, NY
2021: Aricama Programming Ceremony, Winter Wonderland Online,
La MaMa Kids, NY
2021: Marikata’s Abduction Games, Puppet BloK! Dixon Place, NY
2021: Floral de Epic, Jalopy Theater, NY
2021: Floral de Epic, Queens Botanical Garden, NY
2021: Maria Reads a Book, Puppet's Come Home Online Puppet Slam,
Coney Island USA
2021: BOOB RADIO, The Bawdy Naughty Puppet Cabaret, Puppet Fringe NYC
2021: Marikata Abduction Games, Asian AF, Squirrel at The Caveat, NY
2021: Aricama Herstory Toy Theater, The Living Room Tour, IL & WI
2020: Aricama Crispy Patta, La Mama Puppet Slam Online Stream, NY
2020: TRANSMUTATION STAYTION'S BOOB RADIO!,
Object Movement Puppetry Short Works, Online, NY
2020: Aricama Play!, La Mama Kid's Workshop, Online Stream, NY
2020: NEW MONY COMMERCIAL, FEAST: SNACKTIME Online Stream, NY
2020: TRANSMUTATION STAYTION'S BOOB RADIO,
Great Small Works Online Toy Theater Festival, NY
2019: ALLIMAH'S ARICAMA DREAM, La Mama's Puppet Slam, NY
2019: NEW MONY! PART 3, Concrete Temple's Concrete Boom Vo.2 at Dixon Place, NY
2018: NEW MONY! PART 3,
Object Movement Puppetry Festival at The Center @ West Park
2018: NEW MONY! PART 2, Dixon Place Presents Puppet Blok, NY
2018: ARICAMA PROGRAMMING CEREMONY, La Mama Puppet Slam, NY
2018: THE HEALING SHIPMENT PROLOGUE NuWorks Festival at Pan Asian Repertory, NY
2017: TRANSMUTATION STAYTION (Solo) , Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2017: THE HEALING SHIPMENT PROLOGUE, Dixon Place Presents Puppet Blok, NY
2016: THE MARICAMA ROOM, Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2016: ARICAMA: A GALACTIC LANDING, Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2013: THE GENTLE BREEZE, Café Bread, Bread and Puppet, VT
2013: ANG PALANSAK: THE COLLECTIVE with Filipino Americans Coming Together Student Organization, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA
RELATED WORK
2007-current: Founder, MARICAMA, Fashion, Spiritual Clothing
2024: Puppetry, Jupiter’s Descent to Earth, The Little Opera of NY
2024: Puppet and Hypnosis Workshop, Museum of Chinese in America, NY
2023: Guest Speaker, The School of The New York Times, NY
2023: Puppet Consultant / Puppet Design / Builder, STRATA, Directed by LILLETH, Center of Performance Research, BK, NY
2023: Puppet Designer/ Builder, BIG ZOO Workshop, Directed by Nana Dakin, NY
2023: Director/Pianist, Grimmigration: Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happily Ever After Workshop by Liz Morgan, Broadway Advocacy Coalition,
Goddard Arts Community Center, NY
2023: Co-Director/Puppet Designer/ Builder, Learning How to Read by Moonlight
by Gaven Trininad, Leviathan Lab, Actor’s Guild, NY
2022: Puppeteer, Fire in The Head, Directed by Chris Meyers,
Chinese Community Center, NY
2022: Puppeteer, BISMARCK, Directed by Dan Hurlin, DUKE University, NC
2022: Puppeteer, A Few Deep Breaths, Directed by Culture Hub,
Collaboration with Seoul Arts
2022: Puppeteer, HUMAN, Directed by Nephrii Amenii,
Chelsea Factory/New Victory Theater, NY
2021: Puppet Advisor, Henry 6, Stairwell Theater, The Old Stone House, BK, NY
2015-2020: Painting Instructor, MUSE Paintbar, Yonkers and NYC
2020: Aricama Ambassador, 7 Daughters of Eve Church Service,
Directed by Sibyl Kempson, NY
2020: Sound Demon, P*ssyc#ck Know Nothing! Directed by David Herskovitz,
Target Margin Theater NY
2020: Puppeteer, Bismarck, Directed by Dan Hurlin, Sarah Lawrence Showing, NY
2020: Puppeteer, FEAR IN THE WESTERN WORLD, Creators: David Commander,
Target Margin, NY
2018: Animator, Summer Solstice, Sibyl Kempson, Whitney Musem
2018: Puppeteer, Mommy and Me Director Leonie Bell, Barn Arts Collective, ME
2018: Puppeteer, Unicorn Afterlife Creator/Director Justin Perkins, FLAMECON, NY
2018: Puppeteer, And Here We Are Visual Dir. by Jeanette Yew
National Sawdust Theater, NY
2018: Performer, Mommy and Me Dir. by Leonie Bell Dixon Place, NY
2017: Comedian, Stand Up Comedy, Three of Cups, NY
WORKSHOPS/PRESENTATIONS/PANEL TALKS
2024: Puppetry Workshop, Mid Autumn Festival, Queens, NY
2024: Performance Lab Guest Artist, Energy Hygiene ET Workshop
Sarah Lawrence College Theatre Graduate Program, NY
2024: Maria Camia, Blue Mountain Center, NY
2024: The Spirit Inside and Outside the Puppet and Puppetry Workshop,
Museum of Chinese in America, NYC
2023: Special Guest: Maria Camia, New York Neofuturists
2022: Staging the Non-Human Character; Animal, Alien, or Architecture part of Chicago International Puppet Festival's Online Symposium presented by Howl Round Theatre Commons with Nick Lehane, Marsian De Lellis, and Basil Twist, Chicago, IL
2022: Aricama Toy Puppetry, Puppets Homecoming Festival, Coney Island NY
2020: Puppetry Workshop, Hedgepig Ensemble NY
SET DESIGN
2017: You For Me For You Dir. by Ernest Abuba Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2017: Traces Dir. by Julia Free Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2017: Pretentious Young Ladies Dir. by Leonie Bell Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2016: Poptoy Playground Dir. by Kristina Auten Sarah Lawrence College, NY
2016: Marie Antoinette (Assistant Set Design/Projection Designer to Tom Lee) Dir. by Christine Farrell Sarah Lawrence College, NY
SELECTED ART GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018: Murals at Masons Festival
2016: Comic and Cartoon Art Annual, Society of Illustrators, New York NY
2015: Greenpoint Gallery, People's Choice Salon Show, Brooklyn NY
2013: VCU Arts Commencement (seven puppets in recessional), Richmond VA
2013: Cafe Ragoon Club, Capital One, Richmond VA
2012: Art 180 Paint the Town Charity Art Gala, Richmond VA
COMIC CONVENTIONS
2018: VanCaf Comic Arts Festival
2016: Small Press Expo SPX
2015: Katsucon Convention
SOLO ART SHOW
2017: NEW MONY Elk Cafe, Brooklyn
PUBLISHED WORKS
2018: Wake Up Screaming #11 - Alchemy
2017: Broken Yolk
2017: The Cliffhanger (cover)
2017: LAKAS ZINE
2016: Society of Illustrators Comic & Cartoon Art Annual
2016: SLC Dark Phrases (cover)
2016: SLC Review
2016: The Cliffhanger
2016: Lumina Journal
2012: Quail Bell Magazine- Editors Pick
SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS
2015: ARICAMA 3
2015: Focused Magnificence
2015: ARICAMA 2
2014: ARICAMA
APPRENTICESHIPS/INTERNSHIPS
2014: Basil Twist: Tandem Otter Productions, New York NY
2014: Saya Woolfalk, Brooklyn NY
2013: HERE Theater, New York, NY
2013: Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover VT
COLLABORATION
2017: Private Investigator : Collaboration with Leonie Bell
2013: ANG PALANSAK: The Collective with special guest Maria Camia
The Filipino Americans Coming Together Student Organization, Richmond VA