M-CAU é um estúdio de design sediado em São Paulo, fundado pela artista e diretora criativa Maria Cau Levy. O estúdio atua na criação de identidades visuais para discos, livros e exposições, com interesse especial por processos gráficos que exploram de modo experimental diferentes técnicas e materialidades. Cada projeto nasce do encontro entre teoria e prática, construindo narrativas visuais que exploram o gesto, a repetição, o ritmo e o ruído. Seu trabalho já foi reconhecido pelos prêmios Jabuti, Latin America Design Awards e Prêmio da Música Brasileira. Com uma trajetória marcada por colaborações com a cena musical independente, M-CAU desenvolveu projetos para selos ao redor do mundo, criando universos visuais que se conectam profundamente com a sonoridade de cada artista. Entre os artistas e instituições com quem já colaborou estão Giselle Beiguelman, Maxwell Alexandre, Coala Records, Liniker, Selo Risco, Japan House, Pinacoteca e Sesc.
M-CAU is a design studio based in São Paulo, founded by artist and creative director Maria Cau Levy. The studio creates visual identities for albums, books, and exhibitions, with a particular interest in graphic processes that experimentally explore different techniques and materialities. Each project emerges from the intersection of theory and practice, building visual narratives that investigate gesture, repetition, rhythm, and noise. M-CAU’s work has been recognized by awards such as the Jabuti, Latin America Design Awards, and the Prêmio da Música Brasileira. With a trajectory shaped by collaborations within the independent music scene, the studio has developed projects for record labels around the world, crafting visual universes that resonate deeply with each artist’s sound. Collaborations include artists and institutions such as Giselle Beiguelman, Maxwell Alexandre, Coala Records, Liniker, Selo Risco, Japan House, Pinacoteca, and Sesc.
Maria Cau Levy é artista gráfica paulistana cuja abordagem multidisciplinar transita na fronteira entre teoria e prática, desenvolvendo projetos autorais e em parceria com artistas, coletivos e instituições. Em 2023 lançou seu primeiro livro, Objeto-Aula: Exercícios de Desenho a partir dos Vkhutemas (Editora Kinoruss), e, em 2024, realizou sua primeira exposição individual, Circulatory Pattern, em Tóquio. Mestra pela FAU-USP, é professora de desenho na FAU Escola da Cidade. É cofundadora do espaço independente de pesquisa e difusão @galpaocomum.
Maria Cau Levy is a São Paulo–based graphic artist whose multidisciplinary approach operates at the intersection of theory and practice, developing both independent projects and collaborations with artists, collectives, and institutions. In 2023, she published her first book, Objeto-Aula: Drawing Exercises Based on the Vkhutemas (Kinoruss Publishing), and in 2024 held her first solo exhibition, Circulatory Pattern, in Tokyo. She holds a master’s degree from FAU-USP, teaches drawing at FAU Escola da Cidade, and is a co-founder of the independent research and dissemination space @galpaocomum.
2025 Nominated at Brasilian Music Awards audiovisual release category with A Melhor Saída
2024 Shortlist at 14th Brasilian Design Award editorial category with Mulheres em Luta
2024 6 Highlighted projects at 14th Brazilian Design Biennial
2024 Silver at Latin American Design Awards graphic design category with Me Chama de Gato que Eu Sou Sua
2024 Bronze at Latin American Design Awards editorial category with Objeto Aula: Exercícios de Desenhos a Partir dos Vkhutemas
2023 Bronze at Latin American Design Awards complete book category with Botannica Tirannica
2022 Silver at Latin American Design Awards complete book category with Vkhutemas
2021 Jury at 35 Design Prize of the MCB
2021 Silver at Brasil Design Awards editorial category
2021 Award of the Music Professionals Award 2021 in the design category, Brasília, Brazil
2021 Jury at Brasil Design Awards
2020 Winner of Jabuti Prize in the Graphic Design category with the book Arquitecturas Contemporáneas en Paraguay, Brazil
2020 Jury of the poster contest for the 34 Design Prize of the MCB São Paulo, Brazil
2020 Silver at Brasil Design Awards book category
2020 Winner of AIGA NY 50 books | 50 covers with the book Contemporary Architectures in Paraguay, New York, US
2019 Award of the Music Professionals Award 2019 in the design category, Brasília, Brazil
2019 APCA Architecture Prize: Research and diffusion for the exhibition “Vkhutemas: the future under construction” curator by Neide Jallageas and Celso Lima
2019 Selected at the 13a Brazilian Graphic Design Award with Azul Moderno
2018 Award in the 6th Ibero-american Design Biennial in the category Citizen Design for the project Fronteira Livre. Madrid, Spain
2017-2018 Honorable mention in the textile category with the Cellular Tissue at the 31 Design Prize of the MCB São Paulo, Brazil
2017 Featured trophy ADG Graphic Design Biennial with the album “discobjeto”. Brasília, Brazil
2017 Winner of the cultural project category of the Project of the Year 2017 from Archdaily portal (main architectural work of the year contest), with the project “Vila Flores”. Selected in third place among all categories.
2016 Second place for the visual identity for the International Congress of Architects UIA 2020 RIO. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2025 Exhibition Vídeo-Printing of the videoclip A Melhor Saída of Dora Morelembaum at the Rádio Agulha, Porto Alegre.
2025 Exhibition Vídeo-Printing of the videoclip A Melhor Saída of Dora Morelembaum at the Solar dos Abacaxis, Rio de Janeiro.
2024 Exhibition Ciculatory Pattern at the Courtyard Hiroo Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2021 Exhibition of Fronteira Livre in the 17th Venice Architecture Biennial in the Philippine Pavilion
2018-2019 Exhibithion Vkhutemas 1928-2018 The Future Under Construction. Sesc Pompeia, Sesc Rio Preto and Sesc Sorocaba. from jun 2018 to january 2020. Brazil
2018-2019 Exhibition Infinite Span: 90 years of brazilian arquitecture in Casa de Arquitectura curated by Guilherme Wisnik and Fernando Serapião. Matosinhos, Portugal
2017 Exhibition Bio Transmutations, result of artistic residency led by Suzanne Anker, coordinator of the Laboratory of Art and Science of SVA School of Visual Arts. New York, USA
2017 Fronteira Livre, intervention for 11th Sao Paulo Architecture Biennial. São Paulo, Brazil
2016 Exhibition in Venice Architecture Bienal, “Reporting from the Front” de Alejandro Aravena, in the Brazilian pavillion, in the exhibition “Together” by Washington Fajardo. Venice, Italy