Biography
Mariia Raskin (b. 1979, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan) is a mixed-media artist based between Northern Cyprus and Turkey.
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Her artistic education began in childhood at a local art school, where she studied drawing, painting, composition, ceramics, and art history.
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In 2001, she earned a Master’s degree in Fashion Design from the A.N. Kosygin Moscow State Textile University, graduating with honors. Her academic training combined fine arts with fashion and textile design, providing a strong foundation in both artistic and applied disciplines.
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Following her studies, she worked in the Russian fashion industry in visual merchandising and graphic design before transitioning to freelance illustration. She collaborated with publishers and co-authored a children’s book, and her illustrations were exhibited at the Central House of Artists in Moscow.
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In 2014, Mariia completed a Diploma in Traditional Iconography and Ancient Fine Art Techniques at the Trifonov School of Iconography in Moscow, graduating with honors. Several of her icon works are held in a convent church near Moscow.
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Since 2019, she has been fully dedicated to her contemporary art practice in Northern Cyprus. She has held solo exhibitions in Northern Cyprus, including one inaugurated by the Prime Minister, and her works are part of the permanent collection of the Cyprus Modern Art Museum.
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In 2022, Mariia became a member of the International Association of Art (IAA), representing Turkey, and served as a juror for the New York–based nonprofit art organization Apexart (2022, 2023).
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In 2024, she contributed as an art critic and authored an audio guide for an exhibition in Copenhagen.
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In 2025, she became a member of the Eurasian Art Union (EAU).
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Mariia has participated in international art fairs and exhibitions, including Europe Art Fair Amsterdam (2024), Swiss Art Expo (2022, 2024, 2025), and Spectrum Miami Art Fair (2022). She is a two-time recipient of the Certificate of Artistic Achievement from the Luxembourg Art Prize (2023, 2024) and a recipient of the Boynes Monthly Art Award (2025).
Her work has received over 20 international awards and is held in museum, corporate, and private collections.
Her practice has been featured in international publications including Authority Magazine, The Curator’s Salon, ArtistCloseUp, Artsy Shark, Altiba9, and Spotlight Contemporary Art Magazine.
Artist Statement
My current body of work is the result of seven years of dedicated exploration since I began my journey as a full-time artist.
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I have always been inspired by nature: its diversity, its strength, its endless ability to transform. At the same time, I’ve been deeply fascinated by space and the universe, by their vastness and the mysterious processes unfolding within them. This dual fascination shapes the themes I return to: botanical forms, insects, abstract surfaces that echo organic structures, and imagined human figures, often with an otherworldly, almost elfin presence.
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These are not depictions of existing reality. I don’t paint what I see, I invent. I’m drawn to creating what does not yet exist: fantasy, dreamlike forms that grow out of observation, but are transformed through imagination. In my work, the earthly meets the cosmic. I imagine what flora and fauna might look like on distant, unknown worlds, what kinds of beings might inhabit them.
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My background in fashion and icon painting naturally informs my process. I combine textile elements, hand-crocheted lace, and collage with papers created through my oil-on-water technique. In this process, fluid oil pigments form intricate, unpredictable patterns on the surface of water, which are then transferred onto paper. From there, I bring these elements together into cohesive compositions.
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Each piece holds both an outer and an inner dimension. From the outside, it is about harmony of color, line, and form. From within, it reveals a kind of underlying structure, almost like a skeleton, which I express through lace patterns constructed with intention and rhythm.
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I’m interested in the tension between the tactile and the intangible: between material presence and something more subtle, almost immaterial, like energy. I also explore how color affects perception and emotional state, shifting between calm, meditative palettes and vivid, life-affirming contrasts, and observing how a painting can quite literally change the viewer’s mood.
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Renee Phillips on the Art of Mariia Raskin
Mariia Raskin is a quintessential artist/healer whose soul-stirring paintings of «Seascapes» comprise euphoric sacred realms. Her transcendent creations envelop us with their therapeutic powers of tranquility, restoration, and renewal.
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Mariia’s paintings convey the highest human aspirations with an emotive blend of imagery and poetry. The natural elements of sky and water merge into healing metaphors and modalities. They lead us into a state of timeless, meditative revelation where we succumb to the present moment of blissful quietude.
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As a proficient artist in Contemporary Impressionism and color theory Mariia orchestrates a symphony of vibrant hues in a luminous reverie of fluid, gentle rhythms. These qualities coalesce and harmonize with the exquisite tactile features she skillfully applies using a palette knife.
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In some of Mariia’s paintings we discover small, silhouetted figures posed in the distance. These accents enhance visual spatial depth while they also evoke spiritual awareness about the universal language of human connection with each other and with nature.
Art Statement by Renee Phillips, Director and Curator, Manhattan Arts International and The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS, New York, NY
Curriculum Vitae
Mariia Raskin (b. 1979), Kazakhstan. Lives and works in Nothern Cyprus, Turkey
Education
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2011-2014 Diploma in Traditional Iconography and Ancient Fine Art Techniques, Graduated with Honors, Trifonov School of Iconography, Moscow, Russia
1996-2001 Specialist Diploma in Fashion and Costume Design, equivalent to a Master’s degree (WES preliminary assessment), Graduated with Honors, Moscow State Textile University named after A.N. Kosygin, Moscow, Russia
1989-1994 Pre-Professional Fine Arts Diploma, Children's Fine Arts School, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan
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Memberships
2025 - Present Eurasian Art Union ( EAU )
2022 - Present International Association of Art ( IAA )
Selected Awards
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2025 Curator's List Certificate, Art IDEAL book cover contest, Circle Foundation For The Arts, Lyon, France.
Juror: Myrina Tunberg Georgiou.
2025 Creative Excellence Award, 10th international CFA Artist of the Month competition, Circle Foundation For The Arts, Lyon, France. Juror: Myrina Tunberg Georgiou
2025 Honorable Mention, Seascapes, 15th annual international online art competition & exhibition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA. Jurors: Christopher & Valerie Hoffman
2025 Special Merit, Seascapes, 15th annual international online art competition & exhibition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA. Jurors: Christopher & Valerie Hoffman
2025 Certificate Of Artistic Achievement, Boynes Monthly Art Award, international juried art competition by Chantal Boynes, theme: Landscape, Melbourne, Australia. Jurors: Chantal Boynes, Carina Francioso, Gabriella Wyke
2024 Certificate Of Artistic Achievement, Luxembourg Art Prize 2024, international annual juried art competition, La Pinacothèque Museum, Luxembourg
2023 Certificate Of Artistic Achievement, Luxembourg Art Prize 2023, international annual juried art competition, La Pinacothèque Museum, Luxembourg
2023 First Place, 2023 All Abstraction, juried fine art competition and exhibition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, Middletown, Connecticut, USA. Jurors: Michael Harris, Morgan Newton, Sharon Drinkard, Llewyn Blossfeld, Sarah Asunugo, Shelby Tyler
2023 Special Recognition, Figurative, 13th annual online art competition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA.
Juror: Christopher Hoffman
2023 Special Recognition, Abstracts, 14th annual online art competition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA.
Juror: Christopher Hoffman
2023 Honorable Mention Award, 6th Abstract, international online juried art competition, Art Room Gallery Online, USA
2023 Artistic Excellence Award, 2022-2023 Artist of the Year Contest, Circle Foundation For The Arts, Lyon, France.
Juror: Myrina Tunberg Georgiou
2023 Honorable Mention Award, 3rd Abstract February 2023, online art show, Grey Cube Gallery, USA
2023 Award of Excellence, Art Masters January 2023, international online juried contest, Top Art Awards, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
2022 Special Recognition, Nature, 12th annual online art competition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA.
Juror: Christopher Hoffman
2022 Honorable Mention Award, Green, 1st annual international art exhibition, Art Room Gallery Online, USA
2022 Silver Award, All Abstracts 2022, 5th annual international juried art competition, Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Jurors: Kassandra Kaye, Cher Pruys, Filipe Assuncao
2022 Special Recognition, 4th Annual Primary Colors, international juried art exhibition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA. Juror: Christopher Hoffman
2022 Bronze Award, Shades of Purple 2022, international juried visual arts exhibition, Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Jurors: Howard Hartman, Kathy Paulus, Filipe Assuncao
2022 Bronze Award, Abstracts with Blue 2022, international juried art exhibition, Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Jurors: Howard Hartman, Linda Lindus, Marie Mccallum
2022 Honorable Mention Award, 1st Yellow, Art Room Gallery Online, USA
2022 Honorable Mention Award, Landscape-4, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2021 Honorable Mention Award, Landscape-3, Art Show International Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2021 Special Merit Award, 11th annual open exhibition, Light Space & Time Gallery, Jupiter, Florida, USA.
Juror: Christopher Hoffman
2021 ALL COLOR Competition Winner, All Color Theme, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, Middletown, Connecticut, USA.
Jurors: Arianna Santiago, Hanna Peng, Sharon Drinkard, Llewyn Blossfeld, Sarah Asunugo, Shelby Tyler
Art Fairs
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2026 Affordable Art Fair Austin, Artseeker Gallery, group booth-5G, Palmer Events Center, Austin, TX, USA.
May 14 - May 17, 2026
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2025 Swiss Art Expo, SBB Event Hall Zurich Main Station, Zurich, Switzerland. August 20 - August 24, 2025
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2024 Europ Art Fair Amsterdam, 5th international exhibition, Gashouder Westergas Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
September 6 - September 8, 2024
2024 Swiss Art Expo, SBB Event Hall Zurich Main Station, Zurich, Switzerland. August 21 - August 25, 2024
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2022 Spectrum Miami Art Fair, Artavita Gallery, group booth â„– 100, Mana Wynwood Convention Center, Miami, FL, USA; catalogue. November 30 - December 4, 2022
2022 Swiss Art Expo, SBB Event Hall Zurich Main Station, Zurich, Switzerland. August 24 - August 28, 2022
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Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 April Exhibition, Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall, Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Hüseyin ÇavuÅŸ opened the exhibition.
Curator Erdogan Ergun. April 25 - May 15, 2024
2023 November Fine Arts Exhibition, Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall, Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Minister of National Education Nazım ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu opened the exhibition. Curator Erdogan Ergun.
November 22 - December 15, 2023
2023 Artbox.Project New York 2.0, Manhattan, NYC, USA. April 17 - April 26, 2023
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2022 Casa Del Arte Palma, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. October 24 - November 5, 2022
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2010 Book Illustration, 5th annual book artists exhibition, Central House of Artists Moscow, Russia. November 1 - November 5, 2010
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Inspiration of Cyprus, Cyprus Modern Art Museum, Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall, Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Prime Minister Ünal Üstel opened the exhibition. Curator Erdogan Ergun.
October 27 - November 20, 2023
2021 Exhibition within the Golf Federation Cup, Korineum Golf and Beach Resort Hotel, Esentepe, Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus. October 30, 2021
Collaborative Projects
2024 The Art of Feeling, UN City, Copenhagen, Denmark. October 10 - October 11, 2024
(audio guide in English and Russian for Naomi Lautier’s solo art exhibition)
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Professional Service
2022, 2023 Juror of exhibition concept proposals, Apexart, not-for-profit contemporary visual arts organization, (est. 1994),
New York, NY, USA
Public Collections
Cyprus Modern Art Museum, Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Corporate Collections
Korineum Golf & Beach Resort Hotel, Esentepe, TRNC, Turkey
Avtograd Bank, Moscow, Russia
Private Collections
Cyprus, USA, Germany, Russia
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Reviews
Renee Phillips, Director and Curator, Manhattan Arts International and The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS, New York, NY
Print Media
2023 Spotlight, issue 33, page 125, contemporary art magazine, Circle Foundation For the Arts Press (est. 2017),
Lyon, France
Selected Website Publications
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2025 Medium.com, Authority Magazine, «Artist Mariia Raskin: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist», Authority Magazine Editorial Staff, November 13, 2025.
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2025 Artistcloseup.com, «Interview. Mariia Raskin», Editorial Team, July 16, 2025
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2025 Thecuratorssalon.com, «Mariia Raskin’s studio», Gita Joshi, July 2, 2025.
2025 Boynesartistaward.com, «Interview With Artist Mariia Raskin», Chantal Boynes, April 29, 2025 View Publication
2023 Artsyshark.com, «Our latest showcase features talented artists in different mediums who share some of their favorite works», Artist Showcase, Carolyn Edlund, September 22, 2023
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2023 Neu.edu.tr, «Two exhibitions, in which the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts brought together 100 works of art with art lovers in honor of the 100th foundation anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, were opened by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel at the Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall», NEU Staff, October 30, 2023
2023 Altiba9.com, «10 questions with Mariia Raskin», Mohamed Benhadj, May 9, 2023
2021 Artnagrada.ru, «Mariia Raskin shared with us her review of her victory in the international landscape competition from the Art Show International Gallery», Artnagrada Staff, November 22, 2021