Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maria Teresa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Maria Teresa, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I would like to think that the most meaningful project I have worked on is always the one I am currently developing. When I begin a new painting, I reveal something about my story. I am now working on a series of paintings named “Beauty and Decay: A Journey to My Soul.” On 50 inches high by 45 inches wide canvases, I depict the imaginary forest of my soul. Greens, reds, yellows, and whites express with volume and texture the imprints on my soul of my recent life experiences. The composition only has four elements: flower, tree, grass, and sky. The simplicity of these elements evokes symbolic meanings, full of suggestions. The symbolism appears throughout the entire series; however, every painting has a unique identity.

I am pleased that the introduction of “Beauty and Decay: A Journey to My Soul” is scheduled at the Anthony ‘Tony’ Marseglia Art Gallery for September of 2026. The exhibition celebrates the Latino community during the National Hispanic Heritage Month festivities in the Johnson Public Library. I have proudly contributed to the cultural growth of my community in Hackensack. And I feel distinguished by the gallery and the library because this is the first time that I am recognized for my local artistic contribution as Latina. The gallery is located at 274 Main Street, Hackensack, New Jersey. The opening ceremony is on September 3rd. at 6:00 pm. The exhibition runs until the end of that month.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am exploring textures, strokes, lumps, and movement on canvases or paper. Cold wax and oil paint are the materials I choose to express myself. I focus on the texture and colorful palette to outline figurative shapes with abstract details. My admiration for Italian Old Master Drawings and Paintings with a language reveals my interest for the 20th Century textured surfaces describe my stylistic sources.

I am a New Jersey based artist. But my origin is from Latin America. I was born in Rancagua, Chile, and soon after I was raised in two countries, Argentina and Chile. By conserving the last names of my parents, I praise my intriguing multicultural background. My academic studies, BAs in Art History from the University of Buenos Aires and in Philosophy from Rutgers University, appear clearly in both my sophisticated artistic expressions and my role as curator.

My most important recognitions are the selection of the best artists February 2024 from Non Name Collective Gallery in London, the 2023 Bergen County Artist Grant, and the 2025 New Jersey Legislature Praise for my mural “Finding Peace in Fort Lee Rd.”

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I believe that my mission as creative is to become a storyteller. My series of paintings “Beauty and Decay: A Journey to My Soul” showcases that. So then, the story begins from many events that have perforated the core of my Self since 2020. I learned that some truths rely on who has the resources to make a point rather than the behaviors that have been performed. I understood that the most fragile ones remain alone even when many other people know the truth. A friend told me that the meaning of good and evil for society stands on the side of the powerful. I wondered whether there are many opinions we may hold all at once even when they are completely contradictories with one another. Maybe, the inner contradictions of the Self show that there is a possibility of truth in all of these. Still, there is something that should prevail. The ‘No’ and ‘Limits’ that we ask to be heard must be followed by others like the iron truth.

Last year, I discovered “The Kybalion,” a book that became foundational in my life. The principles I learned from it appear in my series “Beauty and Decay.” These paintings go deep into my recent past experiences. Fear, despair, hurt, and failure became a constant. But I opposed all of them with work, a work from the inside. The kind of work that remains unseen. With acceptance and courage, I put an end to all the pain and harm from the outside. My paintings reflect that inner exploration. Beauty and Decay are two opposite forces that pull and push constantly. They both coexist. They both generate dynamics. And from that movement, I froze in colors and shapes an instant in which beauty and decay are present as lively entities that show the drama of my existence, or better, of human existence.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think that the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that Art becomes alive through myself. Art is always in the making. Art is always everything. Art is in the present tense. I love when Jerry Saltz says that art is a verb because it summarizes the drive of creating. Intriguingly, the action of creating in itself is the only possible reward for me. The complete activity, from the mental rumination to the actual object, made art and life the one and the sole process. I can’t imagine a better life. I can’t think of anything better than the actual materialization of thoughts on an object that I am making with my hands out of my thoughts. When I put that object in front of other’s eyes, I imagine that they can explore some of the paths I walked alone first. The circle closes with the viewer who finds something, whatever that is. That also fascinates me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mtonpaintings.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mton_193/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariateresa.ortiznaretto

Image Credits

Photo courtesy of the Artist.