Design Talk
Zanini de Zanine
Through painting, Maria has found an emotional connection with her surrounding as she explores its drama and sensuality
How is a day in your life as a painter really like?
My studio is my temple. Each day is a ritual where I light candles and incenses, be in silence for hours or play loud music all day long. I meditate, pray and seek help from the Goddess to light the way.
Have you always known that you will end up where you are today?
I was always very curious as a child and I was constantly creating with my hands. This was probably a legacy from my father who used to take us camping by the sea where he painted seascapes on his easel with old-fashioned horse hair brushes! That was fascinating and I always knew I will never be anything else than what I am today.
What are some of the subjects that you usually draw?
I prefer drawing landscapes in remote and wild environments, which often include the elements like water especially. Currently, I am exploring with volcanoes and geysers. They were inspired by my recent trip to the Atacama Desert.
as a painter, what is your source of inspiration?
Diverse environments, being surrounded by different landscapes and the study of light and any sort of feelings – joy, pain, love, hope, excitement, peace, courage – they all give me inspiration. I feel very passionate about my art. This is the reason why I have travelled the world searching for locations that I can connect with and where my images flourish. At the moment I live in London, which is an
exciting and invigorating city that feeds me and my art daily.
Can you describe your signature painting style?
My paintings encapsulate feelings, thoughts, memories and dreams. It is about an invisible world that becomes visible through my brush strokes.
Where do you paint most of the time? Can you tell us a little about your workplace?
I live and work southwest of London, which is one of the most exciting and stimulating cities in the world. I have deep appreciation for it and, in return, I feel I thrive in it. The city epitomises my love for colours and differences. It is architecturally pure, with magnificent lines and shapes from the last as well as the current century. My studio is part of an industrial area called The Old Gas Works located in the heart of Chelsea. The character of my studio is dynamic and spiritual. It is a large space with high ceilings and it resembles a church. In many ways, it is my temple.
What is an ideal workplace to you?
I paint in my studio and also in nature. I am often found in places overlooking a Cornish coast or following the setting sun on a remote beach in Chile or Cape Town.
Could you tell us about one of your latest paintings? What is the inspiration behind it?
One of my favourite paintings is ‘Memories’. It captures the seascapes of my youth in Chile. It is wild, remote and energetic. This painting is a ref lection of time, a journey of feelings and images that have remained in my mind. It creates an instant and timeless zone.
What is it that you hope to achieve through all these paintings?
Freedom.
Is there anyone – living or dead, famous or not – whom you believe has greatly inspired and influenced your work today?
As mentioned earlier, my father has always been an inspiration to me. He has influenced my work from my childhood with his paintings of seascapes.
What is next for you?
One of the breakouts that I want to do in the future is monumental art. I have had private commissions for paintings of over five metres and it is very stimulating. That is the work I would like to develop more in the future.
Do you have any words of advice to offer to both the aspiring and established painters out there?
Follow your heart. Do what you fall in love with. Fall in love with what you do.