Maia Marcella adopts the name Hazel and embraces her identity: “Death doesn’t die. It becomes a name.”

Photografer: Christopher Nowak

After facing yet another episode of online shaming, the artist reaffirms her freedom to be and announces a name change: from now on, Maia Marcella Hazel.

Known for her artistic and activist work, Maia Marcella now officially embraces the name Hazel — a gesture that symbolizes not just a new beginning, but also a powerful response to the intolerance she continues to face on social media. The change comes in the wake of another wave of virtual attacks, this time triggered by a metaphor the artist used about death.

“I am a soul,” says Maia Hazel. “I don’t identify with the cis or binary gender. I’m queer, pansexual — but above all, I’m free.”

Hazel — the color of eyes that hold storms and visions — is now an essential part of her public identity. More than a marketing strategy, the artist describes adopting the new name as an intimate act, a mark of resistance and rebirth.

Photografer: Christopher Nowak

When targeted by attacks, Maia Hazel calls out the superficial way in which deep topics are still handled in the country. “I make mistakes like everyone else. But some people mess up with a mic in their hand and still think they’ve got the moral high ground to teach the world,” she quips. “Death? Death doesn’t die. It becomes music, film, movement. It becomes a name.”

In both words and presence, Maia Hazel echoes literary voices like Fernando Pessoa — “To die is only to be unseen” — and Clarice Lispector — “Death is a state of mind” — to emphasize that her message is one of rebirth, not violence.

The artist also criticized parts of the media that continue to reduce her to labels and titles that never represented who she is. “It’s painful to witness arrogance disguised as journalism. When you politely and lovingly ask for a correction in a headline, the answer comes back as stones,” she notes.

By officially adopting the name Maia Marcella Hazel, the artist reaffirms her commitment to freedom, art, and authenticity. “Now, I’m in control of my narrative,” she concludes.

And she leaves a warning: the intensity in her eyes — as Hilda Hilst might say — is only growing stronger.