There is a striking gravity in the work of Maia Kreisler—an artist whose practice moves across material, conceptual and cultural dimensions with rare cohesion. Grounded in clay yet expansive in intent, Kreisler's work orbits the human condition and our deep, entangled relationship with the environment. Her current practice is underscored by a dedication to the cultural and spiritual genealogies of place, value creation, and indigeneity—concerns she approaches with both reverence and a quietly radical spirit of inquiry.

Living and working in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, Kreisler acknowledges and honours their Elders, past, present and emerging, and recognises their enduring connection to lands, waters, and cultural knowledge systems.

A maker of ceramic forms that pulse with gesture and presence, Kreisler is equally informed by her background in photography and curatorial practice. Her works—most recently composed of earthenware red Raku clay, black iron oxide glaze, and silver oil paint applied with a Japanese calligraphy brush—speak in both whisper and thunder. They channel knowledge passed down through her whakapapa and through her studies, notably under renowned Māori uku artist Wi Taepa, while also asserting a formal confidence all her own.

Of Ngāti Mutunga, Te Āti Awa and Parihaka descent, and affiliated with Urenui Marae in Taranaki, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Kreisler holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Photo Media from Massey University, Wellington, and a Diploma in Māori Art and Design. Her grounding in Māori knowledge systems has remained foundational to her thinking and making.

Kreisler has exhibited consistently since her first solo presentation in 2015 at Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Wellington. Her works are held in significant public and private collections including Wellington Museum, Puke Ariki Museum, the Wellington City Art Collection, the Wallace Arts Trust and The Dowse Art Museum. She is represented by Season Gallery in Auckland.

Her curatorial practice has evolved alongside her studio work, with past roles including Indigenous Curator at the Koorie Heritage Trust. She currently serves as Head of Experience and Facilities at The Jewish Museum of Australia.

In 2025, Kreisler will present a new body of work at Craft Victoria. This exhibition promises to further her exploration of material memory, embodied knowledge, and the ceremonial act of making—a continuation of a practice that is as rigorous as it is resonant.