ABOUT ME

My artist name, Mary Filip, is the real name of my mother, who passed away from cancer in 2017. Using her name helps me keep her spirit alive through voices and stories. One of my deepest wishes is to one day create a space for children with cancer to experience my colorful paintings, an escape from the grey shadows of pain into a world of dreams, light, and imagination. I want my art to offer them joy, wonder, and color when they need it most.

I was born on March 28, 1979, in Sibiu (Hermannstadt), a city in the heart of Transylvania, Romania, with German-Hungarian-Romanian roots. Though I’ve moved across Europe, my heart never left that magical place.

I grew up in a time that felt safe and free. Winters meant skating down snowy streets, pulled on a sled by my father. Springs were filled with wildflowers and butterflies, like a fairytale I long to revisit.

My journey with art began early. At just a year old, I left a small scar on my cheek from a fall with a crayon, a vivid introduction to my lifelong love for color. My grandmother would set me up with paper and pencils, and I would disappear into my drawings for hours.

At six, I boldly painted the windowsill; my father’s reaction is better left to imagination. At ten, after the fall of communism, my family moved to Germany. There, we became “the Romanians.” In Romania, we were “the Germans.” Caught between cultures, I often felt like a backpacker without a home.

Art was never seen as a real path. I studied hotel management and worked across Germany, Spain, and Switzerland, switching jobs often, still searching. But nothing brought me peace like painting. I always came back to it, like a compass pointing home.

Today, I live in Palma de Mallorca, a haven for artists, where I’ve fully reconnected with painting. I started with acrylics, thinking more paint meant more color. In 2022, I joined an art school to refine my technique. I’ve since fallen in love with oil painting and learned to create with less but express more.

I paint everything: actors, animals, musicians, colorful nature. Sometimes I carry watercolors to capture moments on little postcards. My mind overflows with ideas, so I don’t stick to one style.

One thing you’ll rarely see in my work is grey. To me, grey is shadow, sadness—something to leave behind. I paint in color because I choose joy, light, and the bright side of life.

Thank you for reading my story.