Major exhibition explores the Colombian artist’s luminous, layered worlds through large-scale works crafted from watercolor paint and layers of Japanese paper

Minneapolis—The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) presents “María Berrío: Songlines,” on view September 12, 2026, through January 10, 2027. Co-organized with the San José Museum of Art (SJMA), the exhibition brings together approximately 20 works by the New York–based Colombian artist María Berrío (born 1982) and offers a focused look at the evolution of her practice over the past decade.

Taking its title from Berrío’s 2025 work Songlines, the exhibition considers storytelling as a path of memory, movement, inheritance, and transformation. Co-curated by Leslie Ureña, Mia’s associate curator of Global Contemporary Art, and Lauren Schell Dickens, chief curator at SJMA, “Songlines” traces how Berrío constructs her intricate, large-scale compositions by layering hand-cut Japanese paper and watercolor. This meticulous process allows figures and forms to emerge with striking depth and complexity.

The exhibition examines how Berrío draws on literature, myth, history, and contemporary experience, using collage to build worlds rather than just illustrate them. Her compositions blend references to world mythologies, history, contemporary events, and Latin American literary traditions, touching on themes of motherhood, nature, migration, childhood, uncertainty, and survival.

“Berrío’s mysterious and arresting works are truly captivating at every level,” said Ureña. “Her layering is one that traverses the material to the conceptual, as she connects history, myth, contemporary events, and themes from her own life in these stunning compositions.”

“Berrío’s handling of her paper medium is exquisite. She’s able to craft both precise details, like a wrinkled blanket or printed logo, as well as create moody abstractions, all out of slivers of paper. And it’s her deep attention to paper that guides her stories,” said Lauren Schell Dickens, chief curator at SJMA.

Berrío’s works are often described as spaces of refuge. These richly layered works are shaped by both personal and collective histories. Central to the exhibition is the artist’s distinctive process: beginning with drawing, she builds each composition piece by piece, applying layers of Japanese paper in a technique that effectively “paints with paper.” The resulting surfaces shimmer with color, texture, and movement.

Key works in the exhibition include:

• El Dorado (2024), a large-scale composition that exemplifies recent shifts in Berrío’s practice, balancing intricate detail with increasingly abstract passages.
• Songlines (2025), which inspired the exhibition’s title and reflects themes of continuity, transformation, and hope.
• Edge of the Salted Plains (2025), a dynamic work that highlights the artist’s growing interest in movement and abstraction while drawing on art historical references.
• Self-Portrait (2019), one of the rare instances in which Berrío turns directly to self-representation.
• Clouded Infinity (2020), a deeply personal work that reflects on uncertainty and futurity.

The exhibition includes loans from the Des Moines Art Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Wichita Art Museum, and private collections in the United States and Europe.

Through these works, “María Berrío: Songlines” explores several core themes: the material and conceptual role of paper in constructing imaginative worlds; the blending of myth, folklore, and contemporary life; and the artist’s engagement with storytelling as a form of agency. Berrío’s work draws on a wide range of literary and cultural references, from poets such as Pablo Neruda to the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez.

A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition, featuring essays by Ureña and Dickens, as well as Katherine Brodbeck (Columbus Museum of Art); an interview with the artist conducted by Valéria Piccoli, Mia’s Ken and Linda Cutler Chair of the Arts of the Americas; and texts by Berrío herself. The catalogue will be available in the Store at Mia.

Exhibition Details

• Title: “María Berrío: Songlines“
• Dates: September 12, 2026–January 10, 2027
• Location: Galleries 275–276
• Cost: Free

“Maria Berrío: Songlines” is organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art and San José Museum of Art. The exhibition is co-curated by Lauren Schell Dickens, chief curator, SJMA; and Leslie Ureña, associate curator, Global Contemporary Art, Mia. Following its presentation in Minneapolis, the exhibition will travel to the San José Museum of Art, where it will be on view February 12 through July 12, 2027. It will then be on view at Wichita Art Museum from August 14, 2027, through January 2, 2028.

Generous support for the national exhibition tour provided by Hauser & Wirth and Victoria Miro. Mia’s presentation is made possible with kind support from iArtis Foundation and Maria G Bales.

SJMA’s presentation is made possible by the SJMA Exhibitions Fund.

For more information on this and other upcoming exhibitions, visit www.artsmia.org.

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About the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) inspires wonder, spurs creativity, and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary exhibitions and one of the finest art collections in the country—from all corners of the globe, from ancient to contemporary—Mia links the past to the present, enables global conversations, and offers an exceptional setting for inspiration. Learn more about Mia in our latest Impact Report.

General admission to Mia is always free, but some special exhibitions charge a nominal fee. For more information, call 1-612-870-3000 or visit artsmia.org.

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About the San José Museum of Art

The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to inclusivity, new thinking, and visionary ideas. Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, SJMA’s exhibitions, collection, and programs reflect the defining characteristics of San José and Silicon Valley—from its rich cultural diversity to its innovative spirit. The Museum offers lifelong learning opportunities for schoolchildren and educators, multigenerational families, creative adults, university students and faculty, and community groups. SJMA is committed to being a museum without borders, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and beyond.

SJMA is located at 110 South Market Street in downtown San José, California. The Museum is open on Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., and on Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults; $15 for seniors; and free for members, college students, youth and children ages 17 and under, and school teachers with valid ID. Admission is free from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. For up-to-date information, call 408.271.6840 or visit SanJoseMuseumofArt.org.

Press Contacts

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