Biography

Lani Maestro has used a range of media including installation, sound, video, books and text to create work that explores the often complex dualities of human experience and the physical power of the natural world.

For Tulala (2001) shown in the 9th Sharjah Biennial, the artist used smoke to create graphic markings on the pages of the books that were displayed within a massive wooden vitrine.

Maestro has exhibited extensively throughout her career including solo shows at Centre A, Vancouver, Canada (2010), Campo Santa Margerita, Venice, Italy (2007), Église Saint Nicolas, Caen, Normandy (2006) and the Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia (2006). She has also featured in numerous group exhibitions including the Beppu International Art Festival, Japan (2009), the Sharjah Biennial (2009), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MARCO), Vigo, Spain (2007), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Busan, Korea (2004), Casa de las Americas, Madrid, Spain (2000), the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australia (1999) and the Istanbul International Biennial (1997).

Co-founder, publisher and designer for Harbour Magazine (1990 -94), she was co-director of Gallery Burning and artist book publisher Burning Editions. For many years she taught at Concordia University in Montreal and at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.

Lani Maestro received a BFA from the University of the Philippines in 1977 and an MFA from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Canada, in 1988. She was born in the Philippines in 1957 and currently divides her time between Canada and France.

October 2010