My Modern Met

Colorful Papier-Mâché Sculptures Bring Abstract Paintings Into Three Dimensions

Sage Helene

This summer, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) in Rockland, Maine, presents Eyes, the first institutional solo exhibition by Portland-based artist Bianca Beck. On view through September 6, 2026, the exhibition debuts five new papier- mâché sculptures created specifically to pair with Beck’s paintings, revealing how a shared visual language can move between two and three dimensions.

Known for dissolving the boundaries between painting and sculpture, Beck builds expressive papier-mâché forms that suggest the human figure without settling into fixed identities. Layers of paper accumulate into rounded, organic structures before receiving repeated applications of paint. Thick brushstrokes settle into every contour, creating heavily textured surfaces that make color feel almost sculptural itself. For Eyes, each new sculpture was developed alongside a corresponding painting, allowing the two works to evolve together while expanding familiar faces and gestures beyond the canvas.

The sculptures introduce a new physical presence to Beck’s practice. Rising above viewers, their bulbous forms command the gallery while retaining the intimacy of portraiture. Curved edges catch shifting light, revealing ridges of layered paper beneath luminous paint. From every angle, the works reveal new profiles, encouraging visitors to circle each piece and experience the changing relationship between surface, volume, and space.

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