I am an artist, painter, poet, and story-teller.  mara.ohman is my pseudonym.  My civic name is Mária Nováková. I was born in Bratislava and I spent my childhood and school years in Žilina, Northern Slovakia. While I was a student, my poems were regularly published in „Mladé rozlety“ and „Dotyky“ magazines.

Artistic creativity led me to study architecture. I received a Masters Degree in Protection of and Design in Heritage Environment at FA STU in Bratislava. I also studied architecture at KU in Leuven in Belgium. Insight into real estate and development helped me acquire various positions in development companies. Writing was an essential part of my position as a Chief editor of ASB magazine. Architecture, real estate and development remain a part of my professional life. I participate on different projects as an editor and consultant.

My work and lifestyle imbalance resulted in serious health issues. As a part of my physical and mental recovery I decided to release enough space in my life for my creativity. I again started to draw, paint, and write poems. Drawing lessons from the renown artist Andrej Augustín have helped me to get back to my fine-art world as well as regular sessions at the ACADEMY ATELIER with focus on the human body.

Authenticity is what matters in my artwork. I am not afraid of diving deep into my intimacy. I consider the present moment, the here and now, as key aspects; together with hope. I am convinced that all the important questions can be answered by knowing ourselves deeply. I extract meaning into its purity, or I hide it into various layers.