Maria Kelebeev at the Hannatess ArtHaus is a Simcoe based artist and a community art facilitator. Maria creates landscapes, still lives, and portraiture in a loose contemporary impressionistic style.
“My work represents an illustration of a daydream filled with beautiful places, eating and drinking luxurious treats, and having life-changing and soul-touching connections and experiences.”
– M. Kelebeev
Artist Statement
“I turn to creating when I am looking to articulate or express a certain feeling, experience, or emotion. I am always watching and analyzing what is happening around me with a goal to collect visuals of beautiful nature, ordinary objects, and human interactions and stories associated with those moments. Whether it’s a meaningful exchange between a couple, capturing the innocent expression of a child, or looking at color and light in a sunlit landscape – my work is made for the future owner to feel and share the joy of treasuring those stories and collective pleasures.
I work primarily with acrylic, watercolour, and oil, but there could be a presence of anything that was near me to help with the mark-making that I am looking for (crayons, pencils, and even coffee). As for my style, I am inspired by vintage photos, social posts, or candid shots, and I use those references to visualize my ideas on a mini canvas. When there is a striking mini work that resonates a lot, it gets blown up.
Due to my curiosity and desire for experimentation, my style has evolved over time. Today, I feel very close to the impressionist with particularly with Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt are also my visual references. Contemporary artists such as Carole Marine, Lena Rivo, and Vladimir Volegov all of which I admire for different reasons.
There is so much to every day! Themes of the feminine energy, romance, connection, emotional states, adventure, the lushness of lifestyle such as food, travel, and elegance… I find myself creating mini time capsules of those precious moments that can be collectively enjoyed and identified within both residential and commercial settings.