Maya Malioutina
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Maya’s abstract mixed-media artworks are inspired by urban imperfections–cracks in sidewalks, peeling paint, rusted metal. Influenced by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, Maya embraces the aesthetic flaws of city life, translating daily discoveries into heavily layered and textured paintings. “Some works have close to fifty layers,” she mentions. “I like to layer paint and media slowly, a little at a time.” Maya employs a neutral palette and generous applications of metallic leaf to create meditative yet sumptuous artworks, quietly enticing the viewer.
Artist Statement
My work is informed by the close-up discoveries of walls, corners, and sidewalks. They represent the mystery and biographies that lie behind and within these textured surfaces.
Their imperfections hold a special significance, enhanced by the passage of time. Erosion, oxidation, peeling paint, rust, and bare boards all serve as a kind of poetic personal journey evoking the etched markings of wrinkles and scars.
Each wall, corner, and sidewalk I encounter is personified to reveal a symbolic portrait. Its form shows how it has evolved and transformed over time. All that lies behind these images is anyone's guess; some things need to remain a mystery. Viewers are invited to develop their relationship with the paintings as they allow themselves to be transported and experience what lies beneath and beyond them.
As viewers approach this work, a world of texture is opened up. Everything appears highly tactile and three-dimensional. Light is not reflected, but comes from within, permeating every layer, as it creates the narrative of aged surfaces. What holds the viewer’s attention, then, is the wealth of emerging shapes and colors as each piece comes alive with its own story.
I work with a variety of materials, including metals in acrylic solutions, oxidizing agents, plaster, wax, and acrylics.
My work is a slow and patient process that involves many layers. Each piece requires anywhere from ten to forty layers before it matures.
Their imperfections hold a special significance, enhanced by the passage of time. Erosion, oxidation, peeling paint, rust, and bare boards all serve as a kind of poetic personal journey evoking the etched markings of wrinkles and scars.
Each wall, corner, and sidewalk I encounter is personified to reveal a symbolic portrait. Its form shows how it has evolved and transformed over time. All that lies behind these images is anyone's guess; some things need to remain a mystery. Viewers are invited to develop their relationship with the paintings as they allow themselves to be transported and experience what lies beneath and beyond them.
As viewers approach this work, a world of texture is opened up. Everything appears highly tactile and three-dimensional. Light is not reflected, but comes from within, permeating every layer, as it creates the narrative of aged surfaces. What holds the viewer’s attention, then, is the wealth of emerging shapes and colors as each piece comes alive with its own story.
I work with a variety of materials, including metals in acrylic solutions, oxidizing agents, plaster, wax, and acrylics.
My work is a slow and patient process that involves many layers. Each piece requires anywhere from ten to forty layers before it matures.
Artist Background
Bachelor of Arts
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