About Maria Masleva
MARIA MASLEVA Visual Artist | Painting | Sofia, Bulgaria Maria Masleva is a Bulgarian contemporary visual artist whose practice is situated within the fields of abstract painting and visual communication. Through her work, she explores the interaction between colour, form, space, and perception, as well as themes related to freedom, memory, the urban environment, and the shifting realities of contemporary life. She graduated from the National School of Fine Arts “Ilia Petrov” in Sofia and later from the National Academy of Art, where she specialised in Poster and Visual Communication under Professor Ivan Gazdov. Her education in visual communication has had a lasting influence on her artistic language, in which abstract form functions not only as an aesthetic element but also as a means of conveying ideas, states of mind, and relationships. Masleva works primarily with acrylic and oil on canvas, constructing compositions through layered colour, lines, fragmented structures, and dynamic spatial relationships. Across different series, recurring motifs include the horizon, movement, urbanisation, musical rhythm, and the invisible structures that shape human perception. She maintains an active exhibition practice in Bulgaria and internationally, participating in solo and group exhibitions, artists’ colonies, and international art projects across Europe and Asia. Her work has been exhibited in Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, and China. In 2026, her work Around the World was selected for the 16th International Exhibition of Traditional Fine Arts at the Shanghai Art Collection Museum in Shanghai. Alongside her own artistic practice, Maria Masleva is actively involved in presenting and promoting contemporary art. She is the founder and director of Art Point Gallery in Sofia, an independent space dedicated to contemporary art, exhibition projects, and international artistic exchange. Her works are held in private collections in Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, India, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. Maria Masleva’s practice operates at the intersection of painting and visual communication, approaching abstraction as a universal language through which personal experience can connect with broader social, spatial, and cultural processes. Since 1995, she has participated in numerous exhibitions in Bulgaria and internationally. She is the recipient of 11 awards in the fields of art and advertising and is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists (UBA).
Artist Statement
My art is an exploration of the interplay between color, form and emotion. I believe that abstract art allows the viewer to create their own story and discover personal meanings in the work. Each painting is a journey - mine as a creator and yours as a viewer.
Education
- PhD – Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, Bulgaria (2018 - 2020)
- Master of Fine Arts – National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria (2003- 2005)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts – National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria (2000 - 2003)
- Art High School "Ilia Petrov", Sofia, Bulgaria
Exhibitions
- Living Reality, Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (2025)
- Opposition to gray, Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (2024)
- Selected Exhibitions: 2018 – Group Exhibition “Contemporary Art – Different Points of View,” Debut Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2021 – Union of Bulgarian Artists Competition Exhibition for Residency at Cité des Arts, Paris, Sofia, Bulgaria 2021 – National Exhibition of Fine Arts, Sliven, Bulgaria 2022 – Union of Bulgarian Artists Competition Exhibition for Residency at Cité des Arts, Paris, Sofia, Bulgaria 2023 – Group Exhibition “Roots II,” Timișoara, Romania 2023 – Union of Bulgarian Artists Competition Exhibition for Residency at Cité des Arts, Paris, Sofia, Bulgaria 2024 – Solo Exhibition “Opposition to Gray,” Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2025 – Solo Exhibition “Living Reality,” Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2025 – Group Exhibition, Savchevi Gallery, Oryahovo, Bulgaria 2025 – Group Exhibition, Ruse Art Gallery, Bulgaria 2025 – Group Exhibition, Novi Sad Art Gallery, Serbia 2025 – Group Exhibition “Wild Plain,” Timișoara, Romania 2025 – Group Exhibition “Perfume,” Grafichno Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2026 – International Art Meet, New Delhi, India 2026 – Solo Exhibition on the occasion of the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria – March 3rd – “Nuances of Freedom,” Timișoara, Romania, International exhibitions (2018-2026)
- Selected International Participations: 2023 – International Symposium, Chirpan, Bulgaria 2023 – International Symposium “Roots II,” Star Beșenov, Romania 2024 – International Symposium “Art in Măglizh,” Măglizh, Bulgaria 2024 – International Symposium, Novi Sad, Serbia 2024 – Symposium of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, Bozhentsi, Bulgaria 2025 – International Symposium “Art in Măglizh,” Măglizh, Bulgaria 2025 – International Symposium, Oryahovo, Bulgaria 2025 – International Symposium, Novi Sad, Serbia 2025 – International Symposium “Wild Plain,” Star Beșenov, Romania 2026 – International Art Meet, New Delhi, India (2023 -2026)
- Shared Horizons, Cultural Center of Novi Sad, Serbia (2026)