About Maria Tomova

Maria Tomova (artist name MariDari) is a Bulgarian writer and self-taught abstract artist. She came to painting through writing — as a deeply personal, therapeutic practice — transforming grief, loss, and lived emotion into richly textured matter. She builds her canvases in relief, layered with organic structures, natural pigments, marble dust, and metallic accents. Each piece is designed not just to be seen, but to be touched. In 2026, her work received the Finalist Award at the 11th Art Laguna Prize and was presented in the group exhibition RESILIENCIA '26 at BUAT Gallery, Barcelona. Her work has also been awarded in national literary competitions. She believes pain does not have to sink in and disappear. It can be made solid, beautiful, and enduring.