Maryna Tsoneva

I was born in Ukraine in 1972. At home, on my
mother's bookshelf, there was a book called
"The Hermitage." I would sit for hours, turning
the pages, lost in another world. When I lost
my sister, and then my mother, I reached for a
brush. What began as healing became my life's work.

I am a Ukrainian oil painter living in Florida.
My creative roots are in theatre — I studied
directing at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture,
with coursework in art history, stage design, and
scenography. That training taught me to see a
canvas as a stage and light as something that
carries meaning.

On February 20, 2022, I left Ukraine for a holiday
in Spain. Four days later, Russia invaded. I could
not return home. On June 22, 2022, I landed in
Tampa with one suitcase — not clothes, but paints,
brushes, and canvases.

My current series, Between the Wars, explores
displacement and the visual language of Art Deco —
inspired by Tamara de Lempicka and the artists who
fled the first wave of 20th-century upheaval.

Press & Recognition:
— Voyage Tampa, 2024: Rising Stars feature
— Women in Arts Network, Artist Feature, 2024
— Medium: How War Changed My Art, 2025

Works held in private collections in Ukraine
and the United States.

Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, Ukraine
Degree in Theatre Directing
Coursework: History of Art, Stage Design,
Scenography

Independent studio practice in oil painting,
2015 — present. Private training with Ukrainian
and international instructors, studio-based
and online.

Spring Showcase
Artmosphere Gallery & Studios
St. Petersburg, FL — 2024

Faces — Virtual Exhibition
Women in Arts Network — 2024

Art Fair
St. Pete Beach, Florida — 2023

Art Fair
Tarpon Springs, Florida — 2023