Maria Emilov - Fine artist and photographer
- Isobel Arden
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
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Meet Maria Emilov.
In this interview, Mark invited Maria Emilov to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below.
Maria Emilov is a Birmingham-based visual artist whose practice seamlessly blends classical techniques with playful experimentation. Working primarily in oils, mixed media, and collage, Maria creates works that are simultaneously captivating, thought-provoking, and occasionally cheeky. Her art spans cityscapes that pulse with the energy of urban life, abstract portraits that explore human emotion, and objets d’art that bring colour, texture, and humour into homes and offices alike.
Maria’s artistic journey began with a fascination for observation—how light dances across architecture, how shadows bend and twist in unexpected ways, and how everyday objects can carry extraordinary meaning.
This attention to detail informs her work, giving it a layered complexity that invites viewers to linger and explore. Yet she is equally inspired by spontaneity: the accidental mark, the unexpected texture, or the serendipitous combination of materials often forms the heart of her pieces.
This duality—meticulous craftsmanship meeting joyful experimentation—defines Maria’s style and sets her apart in the contemporary art scene.
Beyond her studio practice, Maria is a passionate educator. She tutors mixed media and abstract painting, creating dynamic and interactive learning experiences for students of all ages. Her teaching philosophy embraces curiosity, risk-taking, and the notion that mistakes are not failures but opportunities for discovery.
Many of her students cite her guidance as transformative, remarking on her ability to nurture both technical skills and creative confidence. Through this, Maria contributes not only to the arts but also to the wider community of emerging artists, fostering a culture of exploration and playfulness.
Maria’s work has been exhibited extensively, both locally and internationally. She is a regular participant in Birmingham Open Studios, and her creations can also be found on platforms like Artmajeur and Belgrade Art Studio. Her pieces have attracted collectors from a variety of backgrounds, each drawn to her unique combination of technique, imagination, and humour.
Thematically, Maria is fascinated by contrasts: order and chaos, reality and abstraction, permanence and impermanence. In her cityscapes, she captures the rhythm and architecture of urban life, often highlighting unexpected juxtapositions that hint at stories beneath the surface.
Her abstract portraits aim to convey internal states, translating emotion into colour, form, and texture. Meanwhile, her objets d’art combine functionality with aesthetic delight, reminding audiences that art need not be confined to walls or galleries—it can live in daily life.
Maria Emilov’s work is defined by curiosity, versatility, and a light-hearted yet deeply considered approach. Her paintings and creations are invitations: to pause, reflect, and connect; to smile, marvel, and question; and to embrace the unpredictability that comes with a truly creative vision. Whether through teaching, exhibitions, or commissioned work, Maria continues to expand her practice, challenging herself and her audiences while maintaining a sense of joy, wonder, and humanity in everything she does.
Maria's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand.
Maria imagined a year-long creative journey centred around water-inspired art and global artistry.
The idea was that she would receive funding from a wealthy - if fictitious - Welsh family foundation to travel the world in first class, accompanied by a TV crew, with a book, an exhibition, and even a possible TED talk at the end.
She chose to dedicate the year to exploring how artists across cultures respond to water — oceans, rivers, rain, mythology — beginning her journey on the shores of the Black Sea in Odessa, a place her mother had once visited and loved.
Around the World in Art, Dance, and Culture
They went on a playful tour of global artistic and cultural experiences:
Odessa: Sunrise over the Black Sea, seafood dinners, and a community of young artists inspired by the water. A magical time-machine moment allowed her to witness a spontaneous contemporary dance piece by local teenagers, titled Peace and Hope.
Bulgaria (Black Sea Coast): Returning to familiar ground on the opposite shore, she spent her “Sport Day” immersed in artistic gymnastics — chosen for its dance-like beauty, fluidity, and storytelling, and definitely not football, which would have forced her to choose between England and Bulgaria.
Throughout the journey, Maria shared memories of beaches, books she might read but probably wouldn’t, and her love for simple, local food. She travelled with a soundtrack restricted to one genre for the whole year — classical music — anchored by Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Dream Evening in Aberystwyth
They began the whole adventure in imagination at a beachside café in Aberystwyth:
A warm June evening overlooking the Irish Sea, a glass of wine (or juice, depending on the company), a view more interesting than any book, though she might bring On the Road just in case. It was there she first heard the foundation’s extraordinary offer — and jokingly complained, “That sounds like too much work!”
Dinner Party Fantasy
Finally, they played a cultural twist on the “imaginary event” game.
Instead of celebrities or historical figures, Maria chose to attend a simple, heartfelt performance: a group of local teenagers improvising a dance full of emotion, movement, and hope — the kind of moment that reminds her why art matters, and why she paints.
Explore more about Maria below:
Belgrade Art Studio
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Chief Culture Vulture
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