Maya Lantsova

Hi! I am Maya, a Naperville-based artist.

Born and raised on the Black Sea coast of the Northern Caucasus, the sea and wild flowers influenced my perception of color and notion of shapes. At the age of 12, I entered a prestigious art school in St. Petersburg where I studied oil painting techniques coupled with the traditional fine art training based on the Russian school. Later, I earned a master’s degree in fashion design at the Moscow Textile Academy, where I was exposed to abstract artists, modern designers, and 20th-century art history, which culminated in my desire to explore my own creations and step away from classical traditions.

With age, we all return a little to our childhood. I am a bit nostalgic about the sea, flowers, and mountains of the Caucasus coupled with the architecture of St. Petersburg — all these together give me a unique voice in my abstract painting.

I explore the movement of color in my work, balance between my passion for architecture and painting.