Mariya Alipieva is a multidisciplinary artist born in Bulgaria, living and working in Spain since 2003.  Her projects explore the intimate relationship between individuals and their environment. Alipieva’s artistic production delves into the elements surrounding us and how we shape ourselves to conform to the standards imposed by society. Part of her work emerges from everyday objects, reflecting the ordinary and commonplace. She focuses on creating replicas of these objects, offering a new perspective on familiar items and our capacity to understand our surroundings. Through her work, Mariya invites the public to reflect on the acts and rituals ingrained in our lifestyle, which are often closely related to constant concern for physical appearance and social status.

In her recent work, she has researched common concerns, such as how we conform to beauty cannons using cosmetics and medications that affect our physical appearance. Regularly, she uses reproductions of existing objects, such as cosmetic containers or medicines, to examine the influence that the design of the objects has on consumer behaviour. Products with similar characteristics and utility are differentiated primarily by the packaging aesthetics. That is one of the reasons that seduces her to work with existing objects.

Frequently, she employs porcelain as the primary material because, metaphorically, it symbolises the human ability to adapt to external conditions. Through this choice of material, Alipieva establishes a poetic relationship between porcelain’s characteristics and the human body and mind. Building on this poetic link, she is eager to push the limits of porcelain and explore its potential further.

A significant part of her research involves the relationship and interaction of the work with the public. She attempts to share her personal experience and incorporate the backgrounds of all those who feel a close connection and agree to share their knowledge and experiences.