A journey around the world from her native Romania, and it was ultimately in the capital of the French Riviera that this young artist set up her canvases and passion for a first noted and remarkable exhibition at the Comptoir de l’imaginaire (10 rue Biscarra – Nice).
Born on October 7, 1977, in Bucharest, Maya Malaga has lived, alternately, in several cities around the world, in Nantes, Luxembourg, Valparaiso, New Delhi, and New York, before settling in Nice, which she fell in love with. After completing studies in philology, crowned with a doctoral thesis, Maya Malaga decided to explore another artistic universe, that of painting. A first step at the Florence Academy of Arts provided her with the technical foundation and the courage to continue on this new path.
Her predominant style is abstract and figurative, but the discerning eye will recognize influences of Cubism, Expressionism, or Pop Art in some of her paintings. This desire to explore multiple styles stems from her curiosity and willingness not to be confined to a single facet of painting, but to explore the multitude of opportunities that open up before a blank canvas. "The universe of painting is too vast to confine oneself to a single style," confesses Maya. "It's like asking an actor to always play the same good-guy role, while they could showcase themselves further under the guise of an excellent villain."
Maya Malaga shows the same thirst for exploration when it comes to techniques and mediums used. Oil paints, acrylics, watercolors, brushes, knives, collages, canvases, plexiglass, wood, everything is allowed. The artist enjoys rediscovering the established techniques of the great masters; however, she prefers to invent her own techniques, make her own discoveries. This allows her to have an original style, easy to identify, despite the plurality of styles and techniques employed.
The common thread between her creations is represented by her choice of shades. This explosion of rebellious colors emanates an undeniable energy and dynamism from the canvases, synonymous with the joy of life promoted by the artist. "I'm not a fan of paintings with neutral, monotonous tones," admits Maya.“For me, a canvas must bring an extra burst of energy to the viewer, it must be inhabited by a breath of life, warmed by the fire of passion. Bright colors perfectly fulfill this role, they represent the veins and arteries that allow the blood flow of a painting to circulate through the living organism of the canvas.”
Interview Maya Malaga
<strong>Nice Premium: Maya Malaga, what will your artworks exhibited at Café 3D, on Thursday, February 5, be?</strong>
<strong>Maya Malaga:</strong> The pieces I am offering to the public, in the space of the Comptoir de l’imaginaire, are part of the collection “I Dream in Colors.” I have grouped my paintings under the theme of dream and color because I wanted to give my characters – flamenco dancers, cancan dancers, or ballerinas – the chance to blossom through their dreams and to explode in a burst of vivid colors. Other characters – always women – are displayed nude, dreaming. I wanted to evoke contradictory feelings in the viewer by using a rich chromatic palette. In the painting “Woman in an Armchair,” for example, the pastel and iridescent shades may evoke a feeling of abandonment and relaxation. Conversely, curiosity and jubilant reverie are likely to be triggered when contemplating the painting “Young Girl Dreaming,” where the colors have a compulsive intensity.
<strong>NP: What does painting represent for you?</strong>
<strong>MM:</strong> Painting is an infinite and inexhaustible universe, where each artist grants themselves the power to play God. Everything is possible there, the only limits are set by the frame of the canvas and one's imagination. I take advantage of this to grow flowers on young girls’ heads, make women-trees dance, or ride mischievous teenagers on comet tails.NP: What does painting mean to you?
<strong>MM:</strong> Painting is a hide-and-seek game between reflection and release for me. The actual reflection – on the subject, the theme, the choice of shades – constitutes the first step in the creative process. When I paint, I don't think anymore at that point. This second step allows me to let go, disconnect from reality, let my imagination rest in the swirls and caresses of my brush on the canvas. I understand why painting is recommended as therapy. It is indeed a playful way to meditate, to free the mind.NP: Colors are at the center of your work; why?
<strong>MM:</strong> It is my way of expressing the joy of living. I paint my emotions and sensations through the vividness of colors. It's also a means to pour onto the blank canvas the energy that inhabits me. I enjoy conveying, through a purple hue, a state of mind, or evoking desire, through an orange tint. And above all, I love bringing all my favorite colors, which soothe me or make me vibrate, together on a single support. It is the flow of colors that gives dynamism to a canvas, the lines are only there to hold them down, to imprison them.NP: You attended the Academy of Arts in Florence, what memories do you have of it?
<strong>MM:</strong> Wonderful memories! It was a privilege for me to learn the art of painting in the cradle of a blessed era, the Renaissance. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to have passionate teachers who taught me basic techniques and instilled in me the courage needed to embark on a career as a painter. Finally, my dream is just beginning. I hope to share it with as many people as possible, passionate about art, who are not afraid to dream in colors...
