A kaleidoscope of swirling colour patterns, geometric shapes and textures — this artist’s particular style of is a vibrant display in an almost dream-like vision. Her art is intricately detailed with hints of calm chaos, or mystery. Drawing from different influences — tribal, or kinetic with optical illusions — her pieces embrace a wider spectrum of surrealism. But at the heart of all of them is the expression of the spirit.
Maria Perevoshchikova is a contemporary artist specialising in abstract acrylic paintings. She recently took part in the Oman International Art Fair held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre and among the many artists, her pieces were some of the most dramatic and interesting.
Born in Russia, she developed a passion for art from a very early age and her passion was supported and encouraged by her mother. At the age of 18, Maria finished The South-Ural Fine Arts School, where she developed her understanding of line, form, composition and art history.
In 2010, Maria settled in the beautiful tropical island of Bali, Indonesia. For six years, Bali was the spiritual home for her and her renewed love for art. Success at local art exhibitions on the island provided her with the confidence to pursue her art career.
At present, Maria lives and works in Dubai, UAE. Her artworks have been featured in a number of exhibitions such as “Women in Art” in Abu Dhabi, “No Boundaries” in Dubai, the recent “Oman International Art Fair” in Muscat and “World Art Dubai”.
Growing up, Maria looked up to and was amazed by surrealistic paintings of Salvador Dali; beautiful and lively impressionistic works of Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet; incredibly powerful seascapes of Ivan Aivazovsky; and so many others.
Today, some of her favourite contemporary artists include Emma Lindstrom, the Dulk, Brian Scott Hampton, CT Nelson and overall is also a big fan of Threyda Art group.
Drawing inspiration from within, Maria said, “My inspiration is mainly ignited by nature and my own inner energy. I intend to synchronize strokes with resonation from nature’s structures, and thus revealing sacred spaces. It is there where I channel the morphing magic into paintings. It provides a greater perspective of what is important, caring for our future generations (both elemental and human) to grow together instead of destroying what sustains us. Understanding the elements we depend on, in the hope of creating a theme visual enough to give an impact to the viewer in a universal language of understanding.”
To create her masterpieces, Maria uses a mix of acrylic paints, spray paints and a variety of texture pastes. Acrylic paints are a key part of her paintings as they not only are quick to work with but also maintain their vibrancy which is a vital part of Mara’s projection of her dreamscapes on canvas.
The art Maria creates is a reflection of her imagination and its continual expansion into a world of its own. Fascinated by what lies behind the painting metaphorically, her own imagination is fuelled by the many interpretations this unbounded abstract art form. It also allows the viewer to see what they want to see within my vision and through my imagination.
satisfaction in the act of creating art,” Maria said.
Whilst she spends most of her time creating these surreal kaleidoscopes of paint, she also loves listening to music or audiobooks whilst painting. A creative being in the truest sense, Maria also explores her creativity in the culinary arts, experimenting through cooking and baking.
Currently, Maria is working on a series of projects. She shared, “This summer I’m starting a number of painting workshops in Dubai. It will be a great pleasure to share my artistic vision and signature techniques with others. I believe creativity can not exist within a vacuum. Sharing ideas, learning new things from each other and always wondering for more is the key. And by the end of the year, I’m planning to release a series of paintings dedicated to endangered wild animals that have been disappearing from our planet because of environmental disasters humans caused.”
Her message to young, emerging artists is, “to Never give up on your dreams, never doubt yourself and your vision no matter what others say, work hard, practice a lot and often go out of your comfort zone to discover more.”
To check out more of her work, follow her on Instagram @maria.the.artist and her website www.maria-the-artist.com
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