Marija Tiurina’s Vibrant and Relatable Murals Foreground Community and Care



Art
Illustration

#Marija Tiurina
#murals
#public art
#street art

January 4, 2024

Kate Mothes

Community center mural in St. Malo, France. All images © Marija Tiurina, shared with permission

Marija Tiurina likens the experience of working on murals to “the feeling of conquering a giant and befriending something way beyond your own size.” The Netherlands-based illustrator (previously) has worked on myriad projects ranging from watercolors to puzzles to stereograms, and for the past several years, large-scale wall pieces have grown into a significant facet of her practice, which centers around the maxim that art should be available to everyone.

Continuing themes present in her smaller works, Tiurina addresses self care, mental health, and other relatable topics. “The mural I did in Carballo, Spain, drew attention to a refugee crisis and an evergreen issue of having a home or a community,” she tells Colossal. In St. Malo, France, a tall, vertical painting of a flower getting some TLC brightened the facade of a local community center. “I wanted my piece to be full of warmth and cosiness, as well as carry a surreal and whimsical vibe, as caring for yourself and others is a really magical act, and it can help the world heal,” she says.

Tiurina approaches each project with an open mind, trusting her intuition to guide the final composition. “Every wall has character and unique features, and one can never be fully ready for the challenge, as each mural is a venture outside the comfort zone,” she says. “Only by diving into the unknown can the artist adapt to the new setting and the conditions that vary with each location and tune to each wall differently. There’s never such a thing as the same two mural painting experiences, which makes it really appealing to me.”

Tiurina recently joined Palette Stars, a collective of European street and mural artists, and she looks forward to pursuing projects alongside new collaborators. Find more on the artist’s website and Behance, and follow her on Instagram for updates.

 

The artist, Marija Tiurina, stands at the base of a tall mural depicting a flower with a smiling face in a pot, with gardeners attending to it.

Two walls inside a dilapidated space featuring surreal creatures on a pink background.

Part of a three-wall mural for IBUG Fest 2023 in Leipzig, Germany

An overview of a neighborhood in Carballo, Spain, where Marija Tiurina painted a mural portraying people carrying a house roof.

“Forward Together” (2022) for Rexenera Festival in Carballo, Spain

“Forward Together” (2022) for Rexenera Festival in Carballo, Spain

A wide shot of a mural depicting 16 panels, each with a different scene. In the foreground sits a cart with painting supplies.

“The Journey of a Light,” Svencioneliai, Lithuania

A gif of panels from a mural depicting various stages of completion.

Details of “The Journey of a Light” in progress

A tall mural on the end of a residential building depicting an abstract architectural shape and figures crowded inside of it.

Collaboration with Nikola Mihajlovic in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2023

A painted panel of a figure in the forest who appears to be popping out of the mossing ground.

The artist’s first “mobile mural” in Lithuania in 2023

#Marija Tiurina
#murals
#public art
#street art

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!