We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maddie May a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maddie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In 2021, I created “Scrub,” a sculpture composed of nearly 800 repurposed Dial Gold Soap bars, meticulously stacked on carpeting. Dial Gold Soap, a common household item, is renowned for its ubiquitous presence in public restrooms and private homes, and is a poignant symbol in my exploration of the intersection between punishment and cleanliness.

Drawing inspiration from my own past and the broader issue of childhood violence, I recontextualize these soap bars as political objects. Each bar, once pristine, is made dirty through the inclusion of dust and grime collected from my home. Once transformed, the bars of soap invite various interpretations: as tools for cleansing, symbols of discipline, or silent witnesses to societal problems.

I’ve cast these soap bars over the past few years in my ongoing exploration of sensory triggers and memory. As the pile grows, the work’s scent, weight, and significance become stronger. When exhibited, the carefully arranged stack on carpeting spotlights the domestic spaces where such traumas often unfold. The stacking symbolizes the human desire to compartmentalize our burdens. By repurposing these bars and imbuing them with personal and societal significance, I aim to confront the complex narratives of traumatic childhood experiences.

I’m grateful for the recognition “Scrub” has garnered. Exhibitions in cities such as Chicago, Louisville, Grand Rapids, and New York, to name a few, affirm the resonance of its message with many groups of people. I hope one day to have a large museum retrospective exhibition of my works, prominently featuring thousands of bars of soap from “Scrub.”

Maddie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up in a turbulent environment, I’ve lived in 26 houses to date between Grand Rapids, MI, and Chicago, IL. This near-annual relocation instilled in me an investigative lens into the ingrained traumas of the spaces Midwest lower-class communities inhabit as seen through everyday objects. Because of the environments I grew up in and being raised in a low-income home by a single parent of three while my other parent was incarcerated on and off for a lot of my life, I am a person who is acutely aware of my surroundings, and especially attuned to my senses. I believe this quality about myself and my desire for advocacy surrounding violence, addiction, and class structure led me to become an artist.

I made it through high school due to the care and support of a few of my art instructors. With their help, I applied to and attended Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) where I graduated with a BFA in printmaking in 2016. I worked many jobs during this time, mainly in educational environments, bakeries as a pastry chef, and galleries in various support roles. Eventually, I became the owner and operator of my own space, Bend Gallery. In 2020 I moved to Chicago, IL for graduate school. I earned an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2022. Since then, I’ve worked as an art educator (cheers to my formative years with life-saving and influential art instructors!) and an art education administrator. I balance my 9-5 with teaching a night class usually once a week, and the rest of the time is focused on continuing to make and share my artwork.

Currently, in my art practice, I utilize textiles, sculpture, installation, print media, scent, and sound methods. My work personifies items to make tangible the quiet emotional experiences left behind in the aftermath of household turmoil. Influenced by the topics mentioned above, personal childhood memories are often used as a starting point to speak to cycles of Midwestern trauma, addiction, grief, fear, and violence. I depict objects through weaving, printmedia, scent, sound, and collage, disrupting and redirecting their purpose through conceptual, sculptural, or installation interventions. My works exist as characters; as lived beings who act as witnesses, carrying the emotional aftermath of abrasive events within the home.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My life experiences have profoundly shaped me, both positively and negatively. Despite the pain and rawness they’ve left me with, I recognize their role in defining who I am today. Trauma has endowed me with empathy and a unique perspective, fueling my determination to be self-sufficient and advocate for societal change. These experiences have instilled passion and power, driving my creative practice to share my story and connect with others. While the circumstances were painful, I’m grateful to be in a place in my life where I can use my creative voice to advocate for understanding and change.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For any person who has experienced trauma or hardship, creating is a necessary act of healing past wounds and understanding the history of our lives and how it has shaped us. I make artwork for myself for this reason. I also think it is crucial to publicly share the work I make – my hope is that viewers of my work will consider the impact of violence on the well-being, happiness, and sustainability of relationships and basic human needs in our society today, and feel empowered to speak up and advocate for much needed systemic changes to change the world we are living in for the better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maddiemay.studio
• Instagram: @maddiemay.studio

Image Credits

Thương Hoài Trần, Eugene Tang, Mikey Mosher