Mia Chaplin (b. 1990, South Africa) is a painter and sculptor based in Cape Town. Her practice spans oil painting on canvas and paper, as well as bronze and plaster sculpture. Deeply expressive, her work is distinguished by lush impasto surfaces, gestural brushwork, and a raw, intuitive style that evokes emotional intensity. Through her visual language, Chaplin explores the female experience—particularly themes of sexuality, sensuality, intimacy, and violence—rendered through a deeply personal and impressionistic lens.Since earning her BFA from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town in 2011, Chaplin has presented numerous solo exhibitions, including Swamp (2022), Mouth (2018), Under a Boiling River (2017), and Binding Forms (2016) with WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town; and Twister (2021) and Underbelly (2019) with No Man’s Art Gallery, Amsterdam. In 2017, she expanded her practice into printmaking, exhibiting a series of monotypes titled The Making of a Sharp Blade in collaboration with Warren Editions, Cape Town.Chaplin has participated in several notable artist residency programs. Most recently, she was awarded the Fountainhead Residency Artist Prize during her stay in Miami (2023). Other residencies include Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2018), Nirox Arts Foundation in Johannesburg (2016), and the OBRAS Foundation in Alentejo, Portugal (2015).In 2022, Chaplin exhibited a solo booth at Artissima in Turin with WHATIFTHEWORLD. Her work has also been featured in group presentations at Art Joburg, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, and Miart in Milan (2023). Her paintings and sculptures are held in a number of public and private collections internationally, including the Spier Arts Trust (South Africa), LAM Museum (The Netherlands), and the Francesca Lavazza Collection (Italy).