Born in Patras, Greece, in 1981, Maria Gouta is an awarded visual artist. Her first paintings were created in childhood, when the first inklings of interpreting visuals occurred. The first canvas came at six years of age and at nine she decided to take her art to the “next level”, convincing her parents to enroll her in painting classes. Her engineering and interior design studies, later, brought more paintings and the decisive, almost stubborn exploration of new techniques and directions, the emotions drawn by color as well as where these colors stem from. This ongoing voyage to discovery, mostly with the use of charcoal and acrylic on stretched canvas, her favorite materials, her favorite partners in crime, continues incessantly until today.

Art competitions, as well as awards at some, were ongoing for Maria, and at 12 she participated at her first group exhibition. The same year she obtained first prize for painting in her hometown. More recently, she participated at several National and International Art Exhibitions in the USA, the UAE, Europe and Africa. She was the 2nd most voted nominated for the GLOBAL ART AWARDS 2018 and recently won the “PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2018” Award for the category Culture and Art in her hometown.

Time after time, patiently and stubbornly, Maria paints, reassesses, explores and paints some more. When a painting becomes a valid companion, she knows it is ready to talk to others, too.