Maria Owens is an abstract intuitive painter whose work draws from fragments of childhood and teenage memories—first formed in Spain and later in Denmark from the age of six. Her paintings often begin with a fleeting moment, a colour, or a feeling, and although abstract, many hold a quiet story beneath the surface. Colour plays a structural role in her work, acting as emotional atmosphere and anchor, while gestural lines and layered forms trace movement and memory across the canvas. Working intuitively, Maria builds and rebuilds her compositions through adding, scraping back, and revealing, embracing the act of painting as both puzzle and problem-solving. There is a constant tension between weight and lightness, density and openness, as each piece evolves toward resolving the feeling or story that first inspired it.

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Maria is represented by Railway Street Gallery + Studio, The Art Precinct in Auckland, ZeaYou Gallery in Taupo and Quiet Dog Gallery in Nelson. You can find her vessels at the Te Uru Shop in Titirangi 

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With every painting sold, she donates to Trees that Count, ensuring a native tree is planted in the buyer’s region.

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CV 
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March 2026 Works on paper, exhibition at Railway Street Gallery

Dec 2025 Group Show Railway Street 

August 2025 Group Show Studio to Wall lll Ponsonby

July 2025 between worlds solo exhibition, Railway street Gallery 
Dec 2024 Brown Art School level 4 end of year exhibition 

Nov 2024 Open Studios Waitakere

August 2024 Baradene Art Exhibition 

August 2024 250 Gallery “Studio to wall 2” Group Exhibition

July 2024 Auckland Art Show 

July 2024 Railway Street Gallery + Studios “Follow the Line” Solo Show

April 2024 Award 2nd Prize Waitakere Arts member’s exhibition 

Feb 2024 The Vessel, Railway Street Gallery + Studio 

Jan 2024 Railway Street Gallery “Dog Days” Group Exhibition

Dec 2023 The Upstairs Gallery Summer Show Group Exhibition 

Nov 2023 Open Studios Waitakere

Oct 2023 Kings College Art Exhibition 

Sept 2023 Merit Ceramic Award Waitakere Art Exhibition 

Sept 2023 2 page Article in North and South Magasin 

Sept 2023 250 Gallery “Studio to wall 1” Group Exhibition

Aug - Now 2023 Wayfind Creative programme and mentoring 

August 2023 Baradene Arts Exhibition 

June 2023 “A Piece of Me” Solo exhibition Railway street Gallery + Studio 

Feb 2023 Railway Street Gallery + Studios “To sit beside you” Group Exhibition

Oct 2022 Kings College Exhibition

Nov 2022 Open Studios Waitakere 

August 2022 Titirangi Painters, group exhibition 

June 2022 Kumeu Arts, Solo Exhibition 

May 2022 Auckland Art Show, The Cloud 

August 2021 3 paintings on TV The Block 

Dec 2020 Upstairs Gallery, Sumner Show, group exhibition 

Dec 2020 Depot Artspace group exhibition 

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