Sights & Sounds: Maya Man

Common Discourse is a project designed to help others (and ourselves) think through creativity, focus, and intentional work—from Alex Tan & Alice Otieno.

Every Tuesday we share words from a journal, a few ideas, a quote from somebody else, and links worth sharing. On Fridays we invite a guest to share images from their camera roll and a sound that resonates with them.

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Maya Man is a Los Angeles based artist whose work considers the computer screen a space for intimacy and performance, focusing on the phenomenon of translating our offline selves into online content.

I first discovered Maya by observing her Making Sense of TikTok channel connections. I find her topics of research to be quite interesting as well as her output in the form of exhibitions both IRL and online.

Here are some things she sent us this week.

— Alex

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Sights —

I'm sharing a collection of NEVER BEFORE SEEN SUMMER 2022 SELFIES that would have otherwise lived and died in my camera roll. I love these kinds of selfies, taken to remember a moment or feeling. They are usually for me and not for you, but for this special occasion I am now sharing with you too <3

— Maya

Found sparkle on my eye from night before

Driving home in Miata

Chilling at home in LA

Trying to see if one side of face is puffier

Fresh out of salon with peachy hair

Sweating in my shadow banned shirt on Naoshima Island

Buying rug for my show in Tokyo

Taking break from conversation

Social photo at the Jersey shore

Amazed by Times Square had to take a pic to remember this moment

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Sounds —

Can't help it if I space in a daze

My eyes tune out the other way

I may switch off and go in a daydream

In this head my thoughts are deep

But sometimes I can't even speak

Would someone be and not pretend?

I'm off again in my world

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