When Maya Chivi set out to add greenery to her Toronto apartment, she didn’t expect to begin an art business. She and her husband had considered commissioning a living green wall, but the maintenance requirements led them to explore preserved moss instead. Drawn to its texture, colour, and low maintenance, Maya decided to make the artwork herself.

That first experiment became the foundation for her buzzing brand Miss Moss, her botanical art practice, where preserved moss, dried flowers and naturally fallen wood become intricate compositions inspired by the outdoors.

An Unexpected Beginning

Maya began with a small wooden panel before trying a larger frame that incorporated dried strawflowers and wood she had collected.

“The process of creating that moss wall was so relaxing, and the feedback from friends and family was overwhelmingly positive, so I continued to make more moss art,” she says.

For several years, she made the pieces as a hobby. Then, at the Queen West Art Crawl in 2024, she sold every artwork she brought. The response encouraged her to consider what the practice could become.

The name arrived with the same sense of spontaneity.

“The name ‘Miss Moss’ randomly popped into my head one day, and its playful sound made me laugh,” she shares. “I love how people react when they hear it, and I’m often told it’s catchy and memorable.”

Today, Maya works from her Toronto home studio, creating original moss walls and custom commissions. Preserved moss allows her to bring greenery into homes and workplaces without the sunlight or watering living plants require

Bringing Nature Into Toronto Spaces

For Maya, preserved moss offers a way to enjoy greenery when caring for living plants proves difficult.

“A lot of us, myself included, have tried and failed to be good plant parents,” she says. “Perhaps we travel often and can’t maintain living plants or somehow seem unable to keep our plants alive, yet we crave the beauty and benefits of having nature and greenery in our spaces.”

In Toronto, where long winters and busy schedules can limit time outdoors, her artworks bring natural textures and colours into homes and workplaces year-round. Preserved moss requires no watering or sunlight, making it an appealing option for spaces where living plants might struggle.

“The colours remain vibrant, and the moss remains intact for many years, all without needing any maintenance.”

A Creative Process Guided by Nature

Much of Maya’s creative process begins outside the studio. On hikes and walks around Toronto, she collects naturally fallen wood, pinecones, and bark, paying attention to details she might translate into an artwork.

“It’s usually on hikes like these or while I’m walking around the city that I’ll feel inspired by something that I’ll want to try and emulate in moss form,” she explains.

Those observations take different forms in her work. Birds of Paradise draws inspiration from the tropical flower, while The Only Way Is Through and In the Wild reflect forest floors and the imperfections found in nature.

Rather than sketching each composition in advance, Maya lets the materials guide the work

“I let the art flow and guide the moss art, letting it come to life slowly and mindfully,” she says.

A branch’s curve or a flower’s shape can influence a composition’s direction. Because the materials vary, every original moss wall is one of a kind.

Making Thoughtful Choices

Working with natural materials also makes Maya attentive to where they come from and how much she uses.

“When foraging for wood or other materials, I only take what nature has already discarded and in small quantities at a time,” she explains.

She sources dried flowers from Ontario farms and works with Ontario suppliers that can verify the preserved moss is responsibly sourced. As Miss Moss has expanded into botanical prints and puzzles, she has applied the same scrutiny to production.

“Every decision starts with one question: can this be made ethically, sustainably, and without creating unnecessary waste or overproduction?” she says.

Prints are made to order on FSC-certified paper, while puzzles are manufactured in Ontario using recycled cardboard. Miss Moss also contributes a portion of sales and event proceeds to organizations supporting nature conservation and rehabilitation, as well as CAMH’s mental-health care and research initiatives.

Art That Invites a Closer Look

Being selected for Artist Project, Toronto’s contemporary art fair, gave Maya an opportunity to see how a wider audience responded to her work. It also connected her with artists from across Canada and led to an interview with CBC.

One piece, Where Fairies Sleep, became a particular favourite among visitors.

“People kept coming back to the booth to get one last look at it on their way out, and kids wanted to know if the fairies were going to come out of hiding,” she recalls.

For Maya, the relationships formed around her art have helped Miss Moss grow. Early customers who bought original moss walls have returned for prints, puzzles, workshops, and limited-release DIY kits.

Alongside her original, three-dimensional moss artworks, Maya offers botanical prints that reproduce those compositions on paper. Finding a printer that could accurately capture the originals’ texture and depth took months of testing.

“I wasn’t willing to compromise on the quality because I wanted customers to receive botanical art prints that felt as close to the originals as possible,” she explains.

Sharing the Creative Process

Maya is now expanding her botanical print collection and private Moss & Mindfulness workshops, where participants work with natural materials to create their own pieces. She also offers live moss-art experiences, making custom botanical artwork during special events.

Across her artworks and workshops, the intention remains personal.

“My goal is simply to help people take time to slow down, feel a little more connected to nature, and make it easier to bring nature into their homes, workplaces, and everyday lives,” she says.

You can explore original preserved moss art, botanical prints, puzzles, and upcoming workshops through her website

As part of our Toronto Creatives series, efosa continues to spotlight the artists, makers, founders, and visionaries shaping Toronto’s creative culture.