Interview with Una Maslov

For many years, painting was something deeply private for you. What changed when you finally allowed your work to be seen by others?

I remember the day I finally found the courage to share my work publicly and posted everything I had at once. I might have hesitated much longer if not for a small, almost accidental moment.
That day, I was about to throw one painting away — not because it was weak, but because it carried emotions I wasn’t ready to face again. A neighbor I met on the stairwell asked to see it and told me he had worked in a museum for many years. His simple words — “This painting deserves attention” — gave me the final push.
That same evening, I shared all my works online. What changed afterward was not so much external recognition, but my relationship with myself. I stopped hiding and allowed myself to be honest about who I am.
From that moment, things began to shift naturally — new encounters, signs, and opportunities appeared, gradually leading me to leave the IT world and focus fully on art. What changed? I did. I now know what I am doing and why — and that clarity gives me direction.

Your story includes several powerful turning points. Which moment do you feel transformed you most as an artist?

The most important moment for me happened in Bari, inside the Basilica of Saint Nicholas. I wrote a short note — not with a request, but with gratitude for everything I had. In that moment, I heard an inner voice: “Seriously? Only gratitude? What are you holding back? Maybe it’s time to be honest with yourself.”
At that moment, everything became suddenly clear. I didn’t make any decisions or try to change my life. Instead, I experienced a rare inner clarity — a simple and calm understanding of who I truly am.
It wasn’t emotional or dramatic. It felt more like recognition than revelation. I realized that art is something essential to my nature — something I cannot give up without losing myself.
The feelings I experienced there are difficult to describe; they can only be lived. But I know with certainty that I will never forget that day. It became an inner point of reference that later, naturally and without pressure, guided my choices.

Your works often carry strong emotion and inner tension rather than calm. How do you know when a painting has reached its truth and is finished?

It depends. Some paintings were born fully formed in advance. For example, “Open Your Eyes” appeared first in my imagination: I closed my eyes before sleep and saw the entire work clearly, then later transferred it onto the canvas. The same happened with “Light Between Us” and a few other pieces. In these moments, the process feels calm and precise.
At other times, the work begins as pure improvisation and somehow, almost magically, unfolds into a narrative of its own.
What I know for certain is that it is always important to stop in time. Sometimes it is better to leave a painting unfinished, to pause and return to it the next day. Excess never serves the work — and this is true not only in painting, but in life itself.
There are also paintings that completely take over me, consuming all my energy until nothing is left. This was the case with “In Motion”. I didn’t create that painting — it created itself through me. When I was emptied, when there was no strength left, it released me. I remember that flow of energy very clearly.
Letting go of control is not easy — we all know this. But this ability to release control is one of the most important things that helps creativity to exist truthfully.

In times when art seems to fade into the background of a fast and demanding world, how do you protect your inspiration and continue creating with sincerity?

My work is grounded entirely in inner content. Any other approach simply doesn’t work for me — and, more importantly, doesn’t interest me. I believe that a person’s inner world is limitless, and when you focus on it, inspiration does not run out.
I carry a great deal of curiosity, attention, love, and reflection within me. My only wish is to have enough time and opportunity to bring all of this into form on the canvas. I’m deeply aware of the value of time and of the gifts one is given, and I don’t want to spend them chasing trends, commercial expectations, or adapting myself to what is momentarily demanded.
What matters to me are meaning, questions, and inner dialogue. I want my work to speak — not loudly, but truthfully. I want the viewer to pause, to feel, to reflect. And if even a small part of that reaches someone, then I know that what I do truly matters.

After choosing art without compromise, how do you define “success” today?

Today, success is not something I measure externally. It’s not defined by numbers, visibility, or recognition — although all of these have their place.
For me, success is the ability to remain honest with myself and my work. It is the freedom to follow my inner rhythm without forcing direction or outcome. It’s knowing that I haven’t betrayed what feels essential, even when the path is uncertain.
Success is also continuity — the ability to keep working, to stay present with the process, and to have the time and opportunity to create. And perhaps most importantly, success is inner calm: the quiet certainty that I am aligned with what I do and why I do it.
Everything else grows from that. 

Looking back so far, which exhibitions or artistic appearances have felt most meaningful to you — and what upcoming projects or exhibitions are you currently preparing for?

My first truly significant exhibition experience was World Art Dubai 2025. It became an important point of entry into the professional art world and helped me understand how my work exists beyond the studio — in direct dialogue with viewers, collectors, and curators.
Another meaningful chapter for me has been exhibiting in Sweden. Offline exhibitions offer a unique experience of presence — real encounters, exchanges of energy, and conversations that cannot be replaced by digital formats. These moments of connection continue to shape me as an artist.
Without question, my collaboration with Clover Gallery holds a very special place for me. The Clover Gallery team chose a work for the first cover that could only be selected by someone deeply attuned to my artistic language. That gesture, along with the genuine support and trust I have received, has been deeply meaningful to me, and for this I remain sincerely grateful.
At the moment, my main focus is preparing for an international exhibition taking place this spring, while continuing to develop my practice and engage in collaborations that feel aligned with my work.