Maria Radilla

Maria Radilla (b. 1969) is a Bay Area painter and fiber and textile artist. Since joining NIAD Art Center in 2005, Radilla has produced dozens of intricately embroidered quilts inspired by the dolls, fashion, and gardens of her childhood. She has been featured in group exhibitions at Sonoma State University Art Gallery, Et al. Gallery, Eddie Rhodes Gallery, Marin MOCA, and the OMCA. In 2024, Radilla's work was acquired for the public collection of the Regional Center for the East Bay in San Leandro, CA. 

I started creating art at NIAD in 2005, and since being here I’ve learned how to make dolls and embroider quilts in my own style. I’m inspired by my childhood in Mexico, fashion, food, flowers, and traditions where we give and receive gifts. These are the things that I really love.

When I make artwork with fabrics, I think about my experiences: growing up, I had dolls and played with them in fields of flowers by my home. I love flowers that are red or yellow or white. I also look at a lot of books, especially a big book of colorful birds and a catalogue filled with pictures of beautiful old dolls. I go through the images and pick a different doll to embroider onto a quilt or make into my own doll. I’ve also made dolls based on figures in paintings, like the people in Goya’s paintings of the Spanish courts.

I see the images of dolls and people wearing elegant clothing and it reminds me of getting dressed up for big parties with my family. I love fashion and I’ll remember clothes I’ve seen at shops when I’m designing outfits for my dolls. Flower dresses are so attractive and stylish. I give my dolls aprons because I like how people use little aprons when they work in their kitchens or at restaurants. I think about food while I’m working, so my dolls sometimes wear the clothes that people wear when they’re preparing food.

I draw and sew everyday. I’m really proud of my past work, and I’ll refer to photos I’ve taken of older projects to come up with more ideas. I’ve made many scenes where there is a little doll surrounded by birds and flowers; each time, I’ll put a flower in the doll’s hair.

I love when people have my art in their homes. I love how people love everything I make.