Maya Zhulidova
Painting as freedom and a fresh start
Born in Kyiv, Maya Zhulidova spent her teenage years in Havana, studied at Kyiv University, and has now lived in Barcelona for over 30 years. Each chapter of her life brought new beginnings — new countries, cultures, and perspectives. These diverse experiences have shaped her open-minded worldview, which she channels into her art with honesty and vibrancy.
Maya is a self-taught artist who discovered painting quite unexpectedly during the war, when she hosted a friend — a painter — in her home. That friend placed a palette knife in Maya’s hand and introduced her to the world of textured painting. What began as a moment of curiosity soon became a deep passion. Overcoming imposter syndrome, Maya embraced art as a personal form of expression and inner strength.
Her works are characterised by bright colours, expressive energy, and deeply felt emotion. Using a palette knife, she creates bold, three-dimensional compositions that radiate movement and light. Her inspiration draws from the Impressionists — particularly Claude Monet — and the dreamlike poetry of Marc Chagall.
Maya’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries across Barcelona and featured in group shows in London. Her own gallery began as a collection of unique art and interior pieces, and has since grown into a cosy, intimate art space that reflects her warmth and vision.
Alongside her artistic work, Maya is also the Commercial Director of Blau Hotels in Blanes, Spain — a role that reflects her versatility and dedication to creativity in all its forms.
Maya believes that art should bring joy, hope and light — something that feels fresh and uplifting each day. Through her painting, she invites others to believe in themselves, to begin again when needed, and to find freedom in creativity
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Geraniums
€ 700,00‘Geraniums’ is a burst of Mediterranean light. The palette knife paints an intense volume of these popular flowers, the eternal heroes of balconies and patios. This work pays homage to everyday beauty, the beauty that greets us every morning and fills the air with life. Currently on display, it is…
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Poppies
€ 700,00‘Poppies’ is a delicate explosion of colour and texture. With the power of the palette knife and the softness of the oil paint, this work pays homage to a wild flower that represents poetry, memory and freedom. The poppy reveals itself as a symbol of ephemeral beauty and the intensity…
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Purple flight
€ 950,00‘Purple Flight’ is a dance of shapes and emotions in purple tones. Inspired by the work of a close friend of mine who introduced me to the art and technique of the palette knife, this work floats between a flower, a sigh and the flow of a bird. It is…
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Sea and clouds
€ 500,00A landscape where the sea and clouds merge in a silent dance. ‘Sea and Clouds’ captures the blurred line between sky and water, the moment when the infinite becomes intimate. A work that conveys deep calm and the constant whisper of the horizon
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River
€ 900,00‘River’ flows like a memory, with soft curves and reflections of life. This work invites us to contemplate the passage of time, the calmness of the water and the beauty hidden in slow movements. An emotional landscape where nature becomes a metaphor for the soul
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Rachel
€ 1100,00My first bold portrait. ‘Raquel’ is a very personal work dedicated to a dear friend. An attempt to convey not only her face, but also her character, her bright energy and calm strength. This portrait speaks of admiration, friendship and true beauty that goes beyond the visible
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Magic forest
€ 600,00A magical forest that invites you to enter to find out what’s out there? Fairy tales, fairies, unicorns, or just the pleasure of walking and rustling leaves underfoot? ‘The Magic Forest’ is an enchanted painting where imagination blossoms and nature becomes a portal. A work that allows you to go…
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Pink rose
€ 1200,00Pink roses, a symbol of tenderness, delicacy and feminine light. ‘Pink Rose’ is a work where mixed media creates transparency and textures that recall the fragility of the petals in contrast to the strength of the flower. A celebration of the beautiful, simple and eternal
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Whisper of flowers
€ 1650,00A soft and expressive composition where cotton blooms as a symbol of peace and purity. ‘Whisper of Flowers’ conveys the fragility of nature and the beauty that lives in light. Textured white colour and mixed media invite you to breathe in serenity
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Storm
€ 2100,00An emotional storm turned into a painting. La Tormenta’ evokes a garden through a glass window in the rain, an intimate and vivid moment when emotions stir like the sky on a grey day. Someone sees the sea, someone sees a forest, clouds or even a river. This work is…
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Wild
€ 1500,00Wild and untamed nature that grows freely in the countryside without asking for permission. ‘Wild’ is a tribute to this absolutely frenetic, genuine and overflowing beauty. A riot of vegetation that breathes independence, strength and life without filters
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The road home
€ 1000,00A tender memory of childhood and the illusion of being in the midst of nature. ‘The Road Home’ reminds us of the road to our grandmother’s village, of a sunny afternoon, the earth under our feet and the trees whispering secrets. A nostalgic and calm work where colour is a…
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Summer forest
€ 2600,00A summer forest that is perceived by all the senses. You can breathe it. ‘Summer Forest’ is a triptych that expands the landscape on three bright canvases, where the palette knife carves paths of light and shadow. The vegetation explodes with greenery, gold and warm earth. Each canvas is a…
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Morning wind
€ 950,00A gust of morning wind in Barcelona, the kind that lifts the leaves of Platáno and lifts them like the sighs of a big city. This work is a tribute to the urban trees that dance in the wind on the streets of Barcelona. ‘Morning Wind’ captures that fleeting moment…
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The birth of the world
€ 950,00Birth. The birth of the world. This work reminds us of a pure, brutal and poetic moment of creation. A mixture of chaos and harmony, where the pigments merge like elemental forces that give life to everything. ‘The Birth of the World’ is a cry for life, the idea of…
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Blue wind
€ 1450,00‘BLUE WIND’ is a restrained explosion. The palette knife gives life to the coloured wind, where yellow sparks like the sun and cold shadows balance with elegance. The textures can be felt, touched, and touched. It is a plant power, a wind in bloom, an abstract dance
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Mimosa
€ 890,00From the intimacy of the window, this work reveals a corner of the artist’s secret garden. The mimosa, the main character of the painting, is a symbol of sensitivity, light and natural beauty. The work belongs to the collection ‘My Secret Garden’
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Insect
€ 1800,00A visual ode to the unnoticed beauty of nature and the life that surrounds us. This work captures the extraordinary in the everyday, with a poetic nod to the flight of the insignificant
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Jasmine at night
€ 1650,00Inspired by the mystery of the jasmine that blooms in the dark, this work recalls a secret garden that only awakens at night. The textures created by the palette knife add depth and a halo of magical fragility
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Silver star
€ 1400,00An abstract work with metallic reflections that resemble a shining star in the midst of chaos. The use of a palette knife gives it an intense and energetic texture, typical of Maya’s emotional landscapes




















