

Artist Statement
As a first-generation Colombian immigrant navigating the diaspora, I carry a sense of fragmentation—a simultaneous feeling of belonging and estrangement to multiple places and cultural identities. As a woman, my body exists within a space of both vulnerability and resilience, shaped by histories of objectification and reclamation. The duality of culture, the fragility of femininity, and the cycles of impermanence and regeneration—these tensions are central to my work. Photography becomes my tool, and collage my method of reconstructing these fractured identities. In this process, I turn to the plant world as allies—an interconnected thread weaving through borders, climates, and cultures. Our relationship with plants is not ornamental; it is fundamental, biological, and spiritual.
Through photography, I capture and reconfigure imagery from nature, abstracting it by incorporating collage and images from the human body. Together, these elements create and represent an echo of shared experiences of growth, adaptation, and interconnectedness. In each piece, concept and craft merge, forming new ecosystems of resilience and renewal. A petal is personified into a sentient being. A leaf becomes an extraterrestrial landscape. These artistic transformations invite the viewer to consider how an investigation of parts and fragmentation can bring us closer to wholeness and connection—not only to ourselves but also to one another.
Bio
Maria Fernanda Munar is a Canadian-Colombian visual and media artist working at the intersection of photography, sculpture, and animation. Through her sculptural-collage approach, she transforms photographic fragments into multidimensional forms, exploring themes of diaspora, resilience, and the interconnectedness between humanity and nature. Her work examines how identity is shaped, fractured, and reimagined, often drawing parallels between botanical forms and the human body.
Her work has been exhibited at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Gibson Fine Arts, Arts Commons, and Emmedia with pieces in the permanent collection of the Calgary BMO Centre. She has received grants from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and participated in residencies at Arts Commons, Alberta University of the Arts, and internationally in Latvia and Colombia.
Munar integrates stop-motion and traditional animation into her practice, expanding her sculptural collages into immersive storytelling experiences. In addition to her art practice, she has led workshops in animation and collage and works as Associate Motion Director deepening her exploration of movement, materiality, and transformation.

Land Acknowledgment
My artistic practice is deeply rooted in an exploration of land, place, and the interconnectedness between humanity and nature. I acknowledge that my work takes place on the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 Nations, including the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nations. This land is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. I offer my gratitude and respect for their enduring relationship with this land and its diverse ecosystems, which continue to inspire my work.