Alexandre Da Silva Maia

Alexandre Da Silva Maia (b. 1974) is a contemporary Canadian artist.

Alexandre Da Silva Maia was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He spent his early childhood years in London, England. At the age of five, his family moved to Canada, settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Da Silva Maia has held on tightly to his Brazilian roots, mixed with patchwork memories from a childhood spent in the countryside, both in England and the Canadian Prairies. Now, as a self-taught artist, he finds himself drawn to some favourite literary motifs as a starting point for his paintings; and many of these have carried through from his childhood. The velveteen rabbit of Margery Williams’ story and the bunnies of Watership Down bring with them the dichotomies of childhood; a stage in life marked by both danger and comfort. Alexandre Da Silva Maia is interested in re-piecing the puzzle of his memories and the mystique of nature. His paintings play with a lens which magnifies an interaction between magical realism and abstraction, the artificiality of ornamental, baroque stylings of rustic and familiar landscapes. This universe is created, becomes “real” through his painting with resin application.

Da Silva Maia’s academic background is in English literature, and in this he received his Master’s degree from McGill University. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries both in Palm Springs, California and Toronto. Da Silva Maia’s debut at Berenson Fine Art occurred in December of 2024, with his solo exhibition titled ‘The Stained Key.’

Currently, the artist lives and works in Toronto.