Artist Statement I began as a figurative painter. In the late 1980’s I moved away from strictly figurative painting and began to incorporate other media into my paintings, including brocade, color powders, varnishes, and other less traditional materials. By the early 1990’s, I had become a purely abstract painter - though my figurative background is still evident in my drawings. Currently I paint on a variety of media - canvas, cardboard, cd-rom discs and apply a wide range of techniques to the surface. At times, my work is focused on building up gestures with layers of paint. More recently, I have added elements of collage to the density of the paint. Another body of work - mainly done on cardboard - is flatter, more minimal and explores neo-geometric patterns. I am also an illustrator. From late 70’s I contributed illustrations to books, magazines and newspapers as well as creating drawings for literary works. I contributed illustrations to “11211 Magazine” , KurierPlus”, published in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, “Foyer”, Theater Magazine, “Jazz” Magazine (cover), and “Rzeczpospolita” Daily Newspaper, Warsaw, Poland. Also photography is an area of interest.

BIOGRAPHY
Maria Sochaniewicz studied in Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In her years at the Academy, she studied under such a professors as: Aleksander Kobzdej, Jan Tarasin, Antoni Lyzwanski, Wieslaw Kruczkowski (paintings), Helena Zaremba-Cybisowa, Stanislaw Zoltowski (paintings and drawings), Jan Zemla (sculpture), Jacek Sienicki (architectural design and wall paintings), Jan Owidzki (composition).

In the late 1980's she moved away from and started to use mixed media work utilizing brocade, color powders, varnishes, and other less traditional materials and self-designed frames as the "Annunciation" in the mirror frame. Her painting during this period focused on less defined objects like series of Snakes and Fish, Leaves, Orchid as the subjects. Cats, Angels, Oceans and Birds are some of the other subjects that have occupied her.

In the late 90's Maria Sochaniewicz painted - "Woman with Cigarette"(self-portrait), "Curtain", "Portrait of My Sister", "Lion's Family", "Big Cat" and "Ocean I, II, III". The snakes and fish of the 1980's became increasingly less literal culminating in purely abstract painting in the 1990's. and since than she moved "Toward abstraction" for well.

In '90 her abstract work are painted in oil, acrylic on canvas, cardboard and paper. She does collages, She is using different shapes of canvases like triangle, oval, mixed media and techniques as well: "Yellow Record", painted on the record, "Record in Blue", glitter on record, "Bird", oil on mirror circle. During the 90's she also created a number of paper sculptures named "Pyramids in Blue" and "Pyramids".

All of her work evinces a strong and individual use of color as well as a very personal style that is evident in all of her work - figurative as well as abstract. While her painting continues to explore abstraction, Ms. Sochaniewicz continues her figurative work as well in drawings like series of sketches "On the Beach".

Maria Sochaniewicz live in the United States from 1988. She was a member of SOHO20 Gallery, Soho, NYC.
Maria Sochaniewicz shown her work in several solo and group exhibitions: in the United States - New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, in Mexico - Mexico City, in Europe - Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, Budapest, and in Poland - Warsaw, Szczecin, Poznan, Radom.

Maria Sochaniewicz is an illustrator with extensive experience as an illustrator for magazines and newspapers doing drawings for literary works.

From late 70's she has contributed illustrations to books, magazines and newspapers including drawings for "Piano Magic" book for children, published in 2001, illustrations for "11211" Magazine, Brooklyn/Williamsburg, "Nowy Dziennik" Polish Publishing, "KurierPlus", NY, for "Foyer", Theater Magazine, "Rzeczpospolita" Daily Newspaper (including cover of sunday edition), "Razem", "Jazz" Magazine (cover), Warsaw, Poland.

Education
M.F.A. Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland
School of Visual Arts, New York, USA

Awards
1996 First Prize, Graphic Competition, Warsaw, Poland
1990 Seventh Prize, Soho Art Competition #10, New York, USA
1980-87 Three Grants from Minister of Culture, Poland
1974 Third Prize, International Competition of Art, Poland

Experience
Painter, Graphic Artist in Lithography, Etching, Silkscreen, Illustrator, Graphic Designer

Professional Associations
Member of SOHO20 Gallery from 1996 to 2000, New York, USA
Polish American Artists Society, New York, USA
Union of Polish Artists, Poland

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