The Story Behind Modernista Art

My name is Marina Stankova.

Years ago, my greatest passion was interior design. It taught me to look for that one detail that does not simply complete a space, but makes it unforgettable. I wanted to create something that carried my own signature and left a lasting impression.

That is how the first face was born.

At the beginning, it was only an idea. A symbol. An original accent. I had no idea that this face would become the beginning of a much larger journey.

Over time, I began to see it everywhere. It became a sculpture, a vase, a lamp, wearable art, and a natural part of my everyday life. Each new piece led organically to the next, and every new face began to tell a different story.

Many people ask me who this face represents.

The truth is that it is not a portrait.

There is a part of me in it — some of my features, transformed through imagination and changed in a way that turns them into a symbol rather than an image. I wanted it to be recognizable, yet universal enough for every person to discover something of themselves within it.

Modernista has never been just a project.

It is a part of me.

It is the way I see the world. The way I express my emotions. The way I communicate with people without the need for words.

I believe that art should be close to people. It should live in their homes, in the spaces they love, in the places that inspire them, and in the small moments of everyday life.

My mission is to create emotions.

To create smiles that give birth to more smiles.

Because I believe that a single smile can change someone’s day — and sometimes, much more than that.

My sculptures always smile.

They remind us that happiness is not always something grand or distant. Very often, it lives in the small moments when we feel truly connected — to ourselves, to the people around us, and to the beauty that surrounds us.