Visual Artist (Painting & Illustration) 
Born 1992, Gdynia, Poland
Based in Düsseldorf, Germany
Artist Statement

Maria Brzozowska creates ethereal visual poems that invite viewers into liminal worlds where architecture and nature intertwine and where the boundaries between memory, myth, and imagination dissolve. Her paintings depict symbolic spaces such as gardens, floating cities, and surreal stages where stories unfold slowly and transformation is always underway.
She creates small, interconnected narratives within each image, allowing multiple layers of meaning to emerge. Her approach to painting reflects a way to map the inner landscape, giving form to feelings and sensations that are often difficult to express. Each work begins with a mood or fragment of memory, frequently connected to seasonal light, childhood impressions, or fleeting emotional states. These elements act as quiet messengers, suggesting cycles, hidden identities, and the complexity of the self.
Figures within her compositions may appear miniature, cloaked in costume, or merged with their surroundings. These are not portraits but embodiments of emotion including curiosity, longing, solitude, and joy. Her aim is to create spaces that invite reflection and allow viewers to inscribe their own meanings onto the visual narrative. Her color palette is intuitive and atmospheric, often inspired by the seasons, with soft spring pastels, warm autumnal tones, and deep nocturnal blues contributing to the emotional rhythm of each piece.
Born in Poland and raised in Turkey, Maria’s multicultural upbringing deeply informs her perspective and artistic practice. After studying at Leeds Arts University, she began her career and now lives and works in Düsseldorf. Her paintings have been exhibited widely across Europe and have been recognized in various international art competitions.
Rooted in storytelling and shaped by a sense of wonder, Maria’s work offers open invitations into surreal symbolic realms where everyday life softens and meaning remains fluid as reality and dream gently converge.
Exhibitions

Selected Solo Exhibitions
Magic in Bloom, 2025, Marquesa Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Seven Layers of a Dream, 2018, Leeds Arts Uni Gallery, Leeds, UK
The Illustrator, 2017, Munro House Gallery, Leeds, UK
In Search of Freak Town, 2017, Joint Idea Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Solo Exhibition, 2016, Galeri Sanatyapım, Ankara, Turkey

Selected Group Exhibitions
Çağın İçinden, Çizginin Dışından, 2025, Atlas Pavyon, Izmir, Turkey
Arte Laguna Prize Exhibition, 2024, Arsenal Nord, Venice, Italy
Group Show, 2024, Marquesa Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Fresh Paint, 2023, Create Magazine, Virtual Exhibition
The Festival of Illustration, 2022, Belgrade Fortress, Belgrade, Serbia
Convex, 2019, Çankaya Belediyesi Çağdaş Sanatlar Merkezi, Turkey
Plate It Please, 2018, Vista Alegre Museum, Portugal
Dare To Be, 2018, Joint Idea Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Zoo, 2017, Ludicomix Festival, Empoli, Italy
Tales of Nonsense, 2016, Cheltenham Art Gallery, UK
Group Show, 2016, Art Shop Gallery, Alaçati, Turkey
Recent Press
   
2025 Art Dog Istanbul: Between Dream and Reality: Maria Brzozowska’s “Magic in Bloom”
2025 Marquesa Gallery: Interview with Maria Brzozowska: Contemporary Surrealism at Marquesa Gallery
2025 Divide Magazine: Issue 13 
2020 Hightone Publishing: Story Power of Illustration 
2019 Create Magazine: Maria Brzozowska Makes Magical Realities
2019 Tedx Evolve: Guest Speaker - 5 Ways of Growing Creatively 
2017 Ballpit Magazine: Maria Brzozowska
2014 Design Juices: Illustrator and Visual Storyteller Maria Brzozowska

Education

2014-16    Master of Fine Arts • Media & Design Graduate Program • Bilkent University, TR
2010-13    Bachelor of Arts • Department of Visual Communication • Leeds Arts University, UK
Awards

Arte Laguna Prize Finalist  •  The Festival of Illustration Finalist  •  Zoo Illustration Competition Finalist  •  Cheltenham Illustration Competition Finalist  •  Applied Arts Young Blood Illustration Award  •  L’Associazione Tapirulan Competition Finalist 
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