Bring an artistic touch to your space!
BIO
I am Maria, born on April 23, 1974, of Nigerian and Lebanese descent. My passion for art began at an early age, inspired by visits to museums with my father, a high school teacher, where I developed a deep love for Renaissance art.
Over the years, I honoured my artistic skills, learning various techniques through formal education and independent practice. Around the age of 35, I made the decisive choice to focus on creating original works that highlight black women, recognizing the lack of representation of African women in classical European art.
My work seeks to celebrate the richness of African culture while incorporating elements from European artistic tradition that shaped my early influences.
Today, I exhibit my work in prestigious galleries, continuing my mission to bring greater visibility to underrepresented subjects in fine arts.
"The Child Who Dreamed of Being Leonardo"
When I was nine years old, I was already a regular visitor to museums. My father, a high school teacher, often invited me to join him on these visits, and each one felt like an adventure. I felt like I was stepping into a magical kingdom filled with colours, shapes, and characters that seemed to live through the centuries.
Among all these wonders, one fascinated me more than any other: the works of Leonardo da Vinci. I remember the day I stood in front of one of his paintings, my heart racing. I felt as if I was born to understand what he felt, to guess what he saw when he placed his brush on the canvas. At that precise moment, I knew I wanted to paint, that I too wanted to tell stories through light and shadow, colours and shapes.
But as I grew up, I started to notice something in these grand museums. Where were the women who looked like me? Where were the Black, African women who were not just silent figures in the background, but the heroines of their own stories? Why did I only see depictions of slaves, servants, bodies without faces? I promised myself to change that.
As an adult, having explored every technique I could find—from charcoal to watercolour, from ink to oil—I decided to bring my vision to life. My project was bold: I wanted to paint African women with the same dignity, grandeur, and luminosity as those depicted in the classical style of the 18th century. I wanted to show their beauty, their complexity, and their humanity.
It was a formidable challenge. But each brushstroke was a response to what I had never seen as a child: Black women represented with the same emotional intensity and attention to detail as those of the Renaissance or the Enlightenment.
Today, I paint these women because I believe in the importance of their representation. Because I want every child who enters a gallery to see their reflection somewhere on the walls. I paint to honour the richness of my Nigerian and Lebanese roots and to weave a connection between centuries, cultures, and stories.
Descriptions
"I created this painting of a woman, measuring 80 cm by 1 meter, using oil as the medium. I chose oil for its ability to produce subtle, deep transitions between colors and light. It took me two months to complete, working in successive layers with drying times of three to four days between each phase. Every detail was carefully crafted to achieve perfection.
The woman is captured in a moment of emotional intensity, her hands framing her face, with vibrant colors contrasting against her hyperrealistic features. The dark background emphasizes her piercing gaze and red lips, creating a powerful contrast. This piece explores emotions through a play of contrast between realism and abstraction, expressing both strength and vulnerability."
Painting Video
