Francis

Dutch artist Nuria Maria paints abstract works that incorporate deep colour, and explore landscape and memory. Maria grew up in an artistic family with a long history of painting, and spent much of her childhood exploring the classical arts in Florence and other Italian cities. “I was a big admirer of the painted frescoes,” she says. “I love how some of their pigments have worn over time; I find it a fascinating palette.”

Maria lives and works between Rotterdam and the countryside surrounding Maastricht. She studied at the Art Academy in Maastricht in 2012, where she created video art accompanied by her own improvised piano soundtracks, before shifting her focus to painting. “When I first started painting, I often had a very clear idea of what I wanted to make,” she says. “This came out of the concept of video, planning shots that you then strive to achieve. It became my approach with painting as well.” Her paintings at the time were figurative, often concerning people and place, before her work gradually evolved into more abstract pieces. “I started to realise that what interests me most is colour. Abstract painting allows you to really explore this, to make the colours interesting and structured.”

Working exclusively in acrylic facilitates Maria’s fast compositional process, and she often listens to music as she paints. “Music really affects my mood, which translates into the work I am making,” she says. Sometimes, keeping one song on repeat for an entire day helps her to preserve a certain feeling or atmosphere. Her abstract works have been shown at, among others, Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona, Palau de Casavells in Gerona and Amelie, Maison d'Art in Paris, as well as across the Netherlands, including at Art The Hague, Museum Oud Amelisweerd in Utrecht, Galerie Post+García in Maastricht and KunstRAI art fair in Amsterdam.