About me

In my paintings I describe dreams, the movement of the soul and the visions that haunt me. I am also inspired by a longing for a fairy tale, and a yearning for absolute beauty and unconditional love. I share my perception of unusual creatures and their relationship to the outside world, expressing this through colour and lines in a surreal style.

I was born on 12 June 1983 in Ukraine. I didn’t have many toys when I was young, so I often played on the street, where I found materials like pieces of coloured glass, twigs, pebbles, and snippets of coloured paper. I was genuinely intrigued by the beauty of these things, so it was easy for me to incorporate them into a mosaic of beautiful paintings.

My grandmother was a stage actress. My mother’s stories and her memories of the olden days on the stage inspired me to portray lives and destinies.

I’ve lived in Munich since 1998 and consider myself lucky because I’ve been able to paint and immerse myself in a wonderful world.

I want my paintings to show people that we, as humans and the world around us, are involved in a mysterious game and are part of something special and intangible. When we view paintings, we can connect with this mystery and feel happy.

As a child, I realised that no matter what happened next, I would always be able to paint. I would always be in a dialogue and an interactive dance.

Life alone is not enough, said the butterfly, you must also have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.

(Hans Christian Andersen)

Interview with Mariya Naydis