Nepomuceno's fluid forms articulate space in a playful way, sometimes inviting tactile exploration. The notion of the rope as a connecting thread is as conceptual as it is literal in Nepomuceno's practice. In recent years collaboration has become a more overt factor in her work. She has worked with indigenous Huni Kuin people in the state of Acre in the north of Brazil to develop weaving techniques and has also formed links with community groups to realise projects for her exhibitions. For instance, elements of Nepomuceno’s installation Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time), 2012 – 2013, at Turner Contemporary, Margate, were made in collaboration with a local artist studio group brought together by the artist specifically to learn her techniques and work on the commission. This spirit of cooperation and openness has extended to the display of several of her large-scale installations, where visitors are invited to interact directly with elements of her work.

Maria Nepomuceno was born in 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, where she continues to live and work. Recent exhibitions include the solo presentations Expiro, Victoria Miro, Venice (2024); Nasci de uma flor at Nichido Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan (2024); Big Bang Boca, Instituto Artium de Cultura, São Paulo, Brazil (2023); Maria Nepomuceno: Dentro e Fora Infinitamente, SCAD Museum of Modern Art, Georgia, USA (2022); Maria Nepomuceno: Refloresta!, The Portico Library in Manchester (2021). Selected group exhibitions include, Acts of Gathering, Eden Projects, Cornwall, UK; Narrative Threads: Fiber Art Today, Moody Center for the Arts, Houston, USA (2023); Forest: Wake This Ground at Arnolfini, Bristol (2022); and My Body, My Rules, Pérez Art Museum, Miami Florida, USA (2020). 

The artist’s work has previously been exhibited at institutions such as Stavanger Art Museum; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro; Barbican Center, London, UK; Turner Contemporary, Margate; Norval Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa; Auckland Art Gallery, USA; Daejeon Museum of Art, South Korea; Hudson Valley Center of Contemporary Art, Peekskill, New York, USA and MFA, Boston, USA among others. 

Works by the artist are included in the collections of Museu de Arte da Bahia; MFA Boston, USA; Guggenheim Museum, USA; Pérez Art Museum Miami, USA; Rubell Museum, USA, among others.