Recently, our team had the pleasure of sitting down with Maura Segal to learn more about her creative process and inspiration. Segal’s minimalist compositions feature hand-cut paper, used to create both embossed geometric textures and delicate, looping linework. Working with a wide range of color palettes, she explores how quiet contrasts and tactile surfaces can evoke a deep sense of calm and contemplation.
Read on to discover more about Maura Segal and the thoughtful layers behind her work.
If you could describe your work in three words, what would they be?
Minimal, clean, texture.
What inspires your color choices?
When I choose colors, I think about what I’d want on the walls of my own home, or in a minimal, modern space. I love color, but I also love neutrals—so it kind of just ebbs and flows. Lately, I feel like my designs are becoming more and more minimal.
If you could step into one of your pieces, what do you imagine it would feel like?
Calm, peaceful, and I would follow the lines as if they were a pathway.
Are the textures in your work planned out ahead of time?
For the underlayer, I just cut the paper based on how I’m feeling or seeing things in the moment. The line has become more intentional, though—before it was more freeform, and now I’ll sometimes use a ruler to make sure it’s straight. I like the play between the straight and the curved.
Do you listen to music while you work?
I actually listen to a lot of audiobooks while I work. I’ve been going through all the Stephen King books lately. I used to be too scared to listen to horror, but once I started, I realized he’s such a good writer—and his female characters are so empowered. It really keeps me on the edge of my seat.
When it gets too intense, I’ll switch to something lighter, like Bill Bryson or David Sedaris. I also love Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, and Alice McDermott. I’m always just going from book to book.
We know you’ve told us how you choose your titles—can you share some of your favorites or stories behind them?
I have fun coming up with titles—I think it might be because my mom was an English professor, so reading and language were always important in our house. It was all about how well you could communicate. I just enjoy playing with different words.
Some of my favorites are Dinner Party, Baking Bread, and Ginger Tea—they feel so cozy and remind me of home. But I also love Space Suit, Trip to the Moon, and Mission Control, because I’ve always been fascinated by space and anything futuristic.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of creating art?
I love spending time with my family and friends. My husband is a great cook, and we have a garden, so we’ll barbecue and eat outside together. I also like to make pickles—eggs, vegetables, pretty much anything. And I love walking around Venice, where I live. It’s such an interesting, eclectic neighborhood.
View Maura’s work online, or visit the gallery to experience the texture and depth in person.
