Biography
Maria Kononov was born in 1997, in New Jersey, USA. Maria started to draw for fun when she was only three. Spontaneously, she took pencils and paper and started making cut-outs of dogs and horses to play with. The unusual talent did not go unnoticed and children from her kindergarten would line up asking Maria to draw their favorite animal.
Fairly quickly, she moved to watercolors, mastering perspective by the age of five without any formal instructions or external help. As she tried out different techniques, her spectrum of colors just kept on growing. While experimenting with pastels and magic markers, color inks and natural paints, Maria explored the various textures of paper, fabrics and eventually canvases.
Maria's first personal art exhibition took place in Uccle, Brussels, in 2007, when Maria was only nine years old. The same year, Maria started to illustrate calendars and Christmas cards, which were sold by the thousands all around the world. While still mostly working on canvases, Maria also illustrated five books written by her grand-father, a distinguished doctor and a prominent Russian writer – Vladimir Naidin. In 2008, Maria made a fashion collection of over 30 dresses, picking fabrics and accessories all by herself. The fashion show, featuring Maria's friends as fashion models, took place in Brussels and, later, was repeated in Moscow. Both events were a great success and were covered extensively in newspapers, on the radio, and TV.
In the next few years, Maria began to develop here own, strictly individual style. In many of her new paintings we find a single uninterrupted line that is used to create intricate outlines. These outlines are filled with wide range of bright and joyful colors, all emitting positive energy, but not interfering with the delicate forms that tend to project unlimited optimism and unexpected “lightness”. As a result, these images easily blend with any interior. Possibly, this is the reason why Maria's recent works became so popular among the growing number of admirers of Maria's art.
By now, Maria had many personal exhibitions in major cities (Moscow, Milan, London, Paris, Rome, St. Petersburg, etc.) and her paintings are found in private collections all over the world. With increase popularity, she is being invited to design theater stage decorations, costumes, and projections for light shows. And, despite her busy schedule, the young artist also finds time to get involved in charitable events, like working with children at hospitals, schools, and orphanages, where together they create handsome, joyful paintings.
Exhibitions
