Born in Chania and now based in Thessaloniki, Maria Nikoloudaki’s abstract compositions offer something rare in today’s fast-paced world: a moment of stillness. Rooted in memory, belonging, and emotional resonance, her practice moves between personal reflection and shared experience. Working primarily with reworked photographs, layered shapes, and intuitive mark-making, her paintings trace the invisible currents of identity, place, and transformation. Named not for what they show, but for how they feel, each piece invites the viewer into a space of pause—where meaning is felt more than explained.

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If you could communicate just one core message through your entire body or work, what would it be?

My work is not about loud declarations. In a fast, noisy world, I want my paintings to offer a pause - a soft place to land, to feel,  to remember.

Art is often chosen as a medium for its freedom. Why do you personally turn to art rather than another form of expression?

Art somehow became my primary way to express what words or other forms couldn’t fully capture. When I first started, I didn’t fully realise it, but over time I understood that I can express my self in many different ways and continuously reinvent my practice. Finding something that truly ignites us isn’t always easy, but with art, everything suddenly became clearer and more accessible. Art can be anything, and I have simply found an object that helps me realise my own version and reshape my ideas. Through it,  I seek to show how a home is built from memories- layered, complex and deeply personal.

How has your upbringing or cultural heritage shaped the themes and techniques you explore in your art today?

My process starts with layering and reworking real photographs, gradually moving from clear images to abstract forms. I’ve noticed that each piece changes a lot- sometimes two to five times-because different layers and unexpected moments shape its path. The so-called “mistakes” aren’t really mistakes; they guide me and help the work find its own voice. For me, this way of working lets the memory behind the image breathe and stay alive in a more open and honest way. I love that work opens a space where viewers can bring their own emotions and stories, turning the experience into a shared journey between me, the artwork and those who engaged with it.

How has your upbringing or cultural heritage shaped the themes and techniques you explore in your art today?

My upbringing and cultural background have played a crucial role in shaping both the themes I pursue and the methods I employ in my work. Growing up in Chania in an environment where the concept of belonging and identity was constantly evolving. I developed a deep interest in exploring these ideas through my art. Relocating to Thessaloniki served as a pivotal moment that initiated an ongoing personal journey, continuously influencing my creative practice. This change of environment connected me with a broader range of artistic possibilities and encouraged a more experimental approach in my practice. I approach each work as a dynamic conversation between colour, shape, and space, aiming to create work that resonates on an intuitive level and invites reflection. Rather than relying on representational imagery, my practice centres on abstract forms that express emotional and psychological states.

How does your art engage with or comment on pressing contemporary issues - social, political, or environmental?

My art engages with pressing contemporary issues-social, political, and environmental-mot by depicting these topics directly, but by exploring the underlying emotions and psychological states they evoke. I am interested in the human experience behind these challenges: feelings of identity, displacement, memory and connection.  Through abstraction, sometimes   I investigate these themes, creating works that reflect the complexity and depth of these experiences.

In a world flooded with imagery, what responsibility do artists have to stand out and say something authentic?

In a world saturated with images, I know what you mean-I see it every day. Artists carry the responsibility to create work rooted in authenticity and personal insight. To truly stand out means resisting superficial trends and offering meaningful perspectives that deepen cultural conversations and foster genuine connection. For me, this means staying true to my own vision and using art as a space to explore belonging, memory, and identity beyond the noise.

Identify five habits or concerns you are actively trying to let go of in your practice.

Sometimes I don’t know if it’s a habit, but it keeps coming back.

✧ The way memories sneak in and shape who we are- even the ones we didn’t invite! Ha!

✧ Finding that sweet spot between letting go and keeping some control. (Never…) 

✧ Connecting my personal stories with feelings that everyone knows deep down.

✧ Celebrating the beauty of mistakes! 

 

✧ Having a conversation between the past and the present, without needing subtitles. (again)

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Maria Nikoloudaki’s practice is less about offering answers and more about opening emotional pathways. Through abstraction, memory, and intuition, her work resists fixed interpretation, preferring instead to breathe, shift, and connect. In doing so, it offers a kind of quiet power: the space to feel, reflect, and remember what may otherwise be lost in the noise.