About
Hi, I'm Maya Rampel
I'm a mixed media visual artist and designer currently based in North Carolina. My artistic practice incorporates painting, sculpture, costume design, special effects makeup, visual direction, and digital illustration and graphic design. I hold a Bachelors in Studio Art from UNC-Chapel Hill with a minor in Art History, where I concentrated on mixed media production and European art history.
My creative practice centers on experimentation across mediums. In my physical works, I combine materials like acrylic paint, oil pastels, hot glue, sand, salt, and string using textured techniques such as scratching, sanding, layering, and spraying to create work that evokes erosion and timelessness. In my digital work, I draw from that same tactile background, using the principles of layering, contrast, and unconventional combinations to push composition and form.
Philosophy
I believe that there is no such thing as a truly original thought. Every idea, image, or creation is a collage of what the maker has already encountered. Just as we can't imagine a color we've never seen, we can't create without drawing on what we already know, I believe artists build new work by recombining familiar elements in unfamiliar ways.
With this perspective, I nurture creativity by exposing myself to as many mediums, techniques, and ideas as possible. This gives me more to work with, and more possibilities for creative reconstruction. By pairing unlikely materials and concepts, I am able to innovate and find joy in my process. Every medium I work with and every idea I collect holds equal value in shaping my practice.
Experience
I have worked as an Artistic Director and Editor for film, a Lead Costume Designer for live performances and shorts, and a Special Effects Makeup Instructor for youth programs. My approach blends visual cohesion, creative direction, and hands on fabrication, often incorporating puppetry, felting, resin, and mixed materials into wearable and immersive designs.
Recent highlights include directing post production for Everest, (a short film exhibited at Peel Gallery), designing full body costumes for the characters Mothman and Bigfoot, and leading visual art workshops and mentoring students in makeup and shading techniques
Skills & Tools
Artistic Mediums & Practices
Creative Direction • Multimedia Art • Illustration • Drawing • Painting • Sculpture • Ceramics • Printmaking • Collage • Photography • Film & Video Art • Animation • Performance Art • Installation Art • Textile/Fiber Arts • Embroidery • Weaving • Costume Fabrication • Special Effects Makeup • Mask-Making • Digital Art • Concept Art • Set Design • Book Arts • Public Art
Software & Digital Tools
Adobe Photoshop • Illustrator • InDesign • Premiere Pro • After Effects • Audition • Lightroom • Procreate • Blender • Canva • Google Suite • Microsoft Office Suite
Professional & Soft Skills
Creative Problem Solving • Time Management • Project Management • Collaborative Workflows • Teaching and Mentorship • Client Communication • Concept Development • Storyboarding • Art Direction • Visual Storytelling • Curriculum Design • Workshop Facilitation • Public Speaking • Team Leadership • Deadline Management • Self-Directed Practice • Critique and Feedback