BIOGRAPHY

My name is Iliana Paliari. I am a self-taught artist. I am an Artificial Intelligence Engineer and a writer.

If you haven’t heard of me before, here you can read a bit more about who I am and why I love to paint and express myself on canvas.

It all started on 23 June, 1993 when I was shot out into the world. Thanks for that mom!

Since then I have always been creative in kindergarten, school and in my professional life. Already in kindergarten I drew a lot, and I still remember to this day that my mother always told me that I would become an artist when I grew up, when she saw the drawings I made in kindergarten and all day school. She always used to buy me sketchbooks and paints.

My mother and my father enrolled me in painting classes when I was just 4 years old, having already noticed my natural inclination towards art. Τhey saw something special in the way I engaged with colors and shapes, nurturing my creativity from the very beginning. Their belief in me planted the seeds of my lifelong passion for painting.

They were right.

As the years went by, the drawings became fewer and fewer and I had to get on with my professional life. After economics university in Ioannina, I travelled across all Europe as a volunteer for an N.G.O. My real working life started when i moved to Athens and started working as a Technical Business Analyst. YES, you read that right! Technical Business Analyst and a Data Scientist.. However, i found out that it is too dry for me (with all due respect to those who work in it). I won’t bore you with my various jobs, but I can tell you that I subsequently worked in entrepreneurship and IT startups and multinational companies.

I love to create and I get millions of new ideas daily. My friends, family and former colleagues would probably say – at times – too many – but it is after all one of the things that characterizes me and got me to where I am today. For the past several years, I’ve still occasionally painted, but…

BOOM. Then came the Corona and the end of my long-term relationship.

I quickly realized that I had a lot more time at home and I needed small creative projects.

So I bought home a bunch of canvases and paints and this would prove to be the start of my professional career in the art world.

It quickly became my sanctuary and my space where I could disconnect from the outside world all challenges. I found a bubble where I could be completely myself and express my feelings on canvas.

I needed a way to navigate the immense pain of my breakup while holding onto my health and well-being.

It’s hard to put into words, but the moment I slip into my painting clothes, let the music flow, and lift the brush, a spark ignites in my mind. I step into another realm, leaving everything behind. My thoughts race like a whirlwind, consumed entirely by the canvas and the symphony of colors before me. Magic unfolds with every stroke.

From here begins a surreal journey I can’t explain. The easiest way I can explain it is probably the followings:

I stand at the heart of the train station, ready to depart bound for a place both beautiful and unknown. I step onto the train that feels right, letting instinct guide me as the journey begins. From station to station, I change trains, wandering through paths both fleeting and endless. The journey stretches as long as it needs, and I won’t stop until the destination feels like home a place of comfort, beauty, and peace waiting just ahead.

Enough metaphor. But that’s how I feel when I paint. Most of the time I don’t know where I’ll end up before I start. But when I work on the piece, I can see and feel when it’s finished.

Back to Corona.

When there was no more room in my apartment, I started to put my works up for sale, and surprisingly many people fell in love with what I had made.

Honestly, I was surprised. To think someone would pay money for something I love to do and immerse myself in.

One work sold another, and suddenly it became more serious.

Till this day, I enjoy hiking and travelling, i meet with family and friends as much as possible. In addition, I am in the midst of shaping my vision to help other fine artists thrive and grow, creating a community where creativity and success flourish together.

That’s a bit about me free from the liver and with full transparency.

My name is Iliana Paliari, and I’m a self-taught artist, Artificial Intelligence Engineer, and writer, driven by a lifelong passion for creation. From early childhood, encouraged by my parents who recognized my natural inclination towards art, I’ve explored various creative avenues. Though my professional path led me through economics, volunteering across Europe, and the tech industry, including roles as a Technical Business Analyst and Data Scientist, I always felt a pull towards artistic expression.
The intensity of the Corona period, coupled with the end of a long-term relationship, became the catalyst for my professional art career. Seeking solace and a creative outlet, I turned to painting, transforming my living space into a sanctuary where I could disconnect from the world and express my emotions freely on canvas.
For me, painting is a surreal journey, a departure to an unknown destination. When I stand before the canvas, music flowing, a spark ignites within me. It’s like stepping onto a train, guided by instinct, changing paths until I find a place of comfort, beauty, and peace. I allow the process to guide me, trusting my intuition to know when the piece is complete.
The positive response to my work was unexpected and incredibly fulfilling. The realization that others connected with my art motivated me to share it more widely.
Today, alongside my artistic pursuits, I continue to enjoy hiking, traveling, and connecting with loved ones. I am also dedicated to shaping a vision that supports fellow artists, fostering a community where creativity and success can flourish together. My art is created with transparency, from the heart, inviting viewers to join me on this ongoing journey of exploration and expression.

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