▁his ▁“ nih il istic ▁drive ▁of ▁con quest , ▁dom ination ▁and ▁destruction ”. ▁She ▁describes ▁art ▁as ▁an ▁appeal ▁to ▁emot ions , ▁a ▁liber ation ▁and ▁is ▁imm ort al ▁emphas izing ▁that ▁art ’ s ▁value ▁is ▁to ▁mobil ize ▁human ▁be ings ▁to ▁counter ▁the ▁impact s ▁of ▁war . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁her ▁husband ▁Carlos ▁became ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁moving ▁their ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁States . ▁During ▁her ▁US ▁res iden cy ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁Mart ins ▁studied ▁with ▁the ▁sculpt ors ▁Jacques ▁Lip ch itz ▁and ▁Stanley ▁William ▁Hay ter . ▁Lip ch itz ▁introduced ▁her ▁to ▁bronze ▁casting ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁expl oration ▁of ▁Sur real ism ▁and ▁her ▁Brazil ian ▁roots . ▁She ▁evol ved ▁to ▁using ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁lost - w ax ▁casting ▁technique ▁as ▁her ▁cre ative ▁process ▁of ▁choice .   In ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁Mart ins ▁had ▁a ▁solo ▁exhibition ▁of ▁her ▁work , ▁entitled ▁Maria , ▁at ▁the ▁Cor cor an ▁Gallery ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁the ▁Valent ine ▁Gallery ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁organized ▁a ▁two - art ist ▁exhibition ▁with ▁Mart ins ▁and ▁Piet ▁Mond rian , ▁Maria : ▁New ▁S cul pt ures ▁and ▁Mond rian : ▁New ▁P aint ings . ▁Mart ins ▁later ▁bought ▁Mond rian ' s ▁famous