Marica Borbás-Tóth
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Marica Borbás-Tóth builds her paintings through quiet gestures and layered surfaces. She works with soaked canvas, muted colors, and natural materials. Her process is slow and intuitive, shaped by touch and the fabric itself. Nature plays a steady role, offering forms and rhythms that guide each piece. She often works on several paintings at once, letting them shift and settle over time. Her studio is a place for focus, repetition, and small changes that add up.
Q: Your work is soft but steady. What holds a painting together for you?
A: It's a difficult question. Sometimes a painting comes together effortlessly, while other times I spend a long time thinking about why it isn't working. In my "Sanctuary" series, I use a lot of muted tones in multiple layers, complemented by gestures in charcoal or pastel. Occasionally, a single brushstroke or the introduction of a new color resolves everything. But at other times, I have to rework half the composition. There are moments when something needs to be added, and others when something needs to be taken away. This process is even more challenging with my current soaked canvases, as the technique is similar to watercolor—removing elements is very difficult. You can't just paint over certain parts with white and start again. There’s always the risk that the piece might fall apart. So there is no one answer to that—it really depends on the painting.
Q: You’ve said your practice is a kind of retreat. What are you stepping away from when you paint?
A: For me, painting is also a way of processing the world around me. It’s a way to escape the noise of the city, the constant rush, the overwhelming visual stimuli, the sensory overload. Through painting,
I find space for stillness and clarity.
Q: Bits of nature show up again and again. What keeps you coming back to those forms?
A: Nature is where I find my inner calm. I also feel a deep connection to exotic plants, especially to their large, enveloping leaves. I could hide in them. This gave me the idea of refuge—nature as a space of protection and comfort for me. I see the organic forms of the natural world as an endless source of inspiration, offering infinite details.
Q: The "Sanctuary" pieces let the paint soak straight into the canvas. What does that kind of surface do for you?
A: I’ve always loved working with aquarelle and often wondered how I could use it on a larger scale. For a long time, I couldn’t figure out how to make it work, until I began experimenting with textiles. That’s when I discovered how similar the soaked-stained technique is. The pigment spreads across the surface in a similarly fluid manner, echoing the delicate balance between control and spontaneity that defines the medium.
Working on large-scale canvases allows for a physical engagement with the painting process—I can move within and around the surface as I work. It’s a very tactile, process-based approach.
Q: Your compositions feel quiet but never passive. How do you decide how much to leave unsaid?
A: For me, it’s a kind of play, a constant experiment in what I choose to emphasize and what I leave only implied. I want my paintings to be open to multiple interpretations, which is why I often leave forms unresolved, allowing the viewer to fill in the gaps with their own imagination.
I don’t follow a strict method; my approach is more instinctive. What fascinates me most is the challenge of shaping something with as few gestures and as simple means as possible, yet still allowing its essence to emerge.
Q: When something stalls out in the studio, what helps you get it moving again?
A: Sometimes, simply spending time in the studio, looking through art albums, is already helpful. But I also believe that stepping into nature, visiting botanical gardens, or traveling somewhere new can be an important way to recharge. Gathering experiences like these always helps me. I return to the studio feeling refreshed and renewed.
