Maya
Stoilova
Writer
Writing about Art & Culture
Maya Stoilova is an art historian and writer exploring the intersections of art, visual culture, psychology, and contemporary society.
She holds MAs in the History of Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art and the University of Glasgow, and has worked across galleries and museums in Europe on cataloguing, provenance research, curating, exhibition management, and gallery operations. Her writing has appeared in publications including ArtTactic, The Art Journal, and Art & Culture, and she also publishes essays on her Substack exploring art, culture, and visual thinking. Alongside her editorial work, she has translated books and ghostwritten for authors, economists, and psychologists, and has managed social media for influencers and public intellectuals.
Today, Maya runs Teen World of Arts, the only Gen Z magazine covering the visual and performing arts, while developing Studiolo, an online platform dedicated to making art history engaging, rigorous, and accessible to wider audiences.
Featured Articles
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![An artist in a black shirt and jeans is painting an abstract black and white artwork on a large canvas with a brush, in a studio with another painting in progress in the background.]()
What Makes a Great Artist?
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![Collage of various art pieces displayed in an art gallery, including portraits, sketches, and paintings by Lucian Freud, with a central sign reading 'Lucian Freud Drawing into Painting.']()
From London with Love: Is Lucian Freud Overrated?
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![A wooden table with leaf-like designs on the sides and legs, decorated with wooden leaves attached to the structure.]()
All heads turn to Surrealism, but why?
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![A collage of black and white photographs including portraits, a gallery entrance, a person in a bathtub, a person with a shaved head, a sculpture, and a street scene, centered around an art gallery exhibit by Lee Miller.]()
From London with Love: On Lee Miller and the End of Innocence
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![A black-and-white illustration of an auction house scene, with a man auctioneer standing at a podium, holding a gavel, and an audience of people sitting and standing, watching him. There is a large framed canvas with abstract art behind him, and to his right, a large framed board with the text 'I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MORONS ACTUALLY BUY THIS... SHIT...']()
Auction Fever: When Winning Matters More Than the Art
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![A classical painting of the mythological scene of the birth of Venus, showing Venus standing on a large shell in the water, with two female figures on either side, one seemingly brushing her hair with a red cloth, and the other with three figures approaching from the left, some of whom are riding creatures, with a landscape and sky in the background.]()
Reclaiming Venus: How We Misunderstand Beauty
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![A colorful painting of a village scene at night with people, animals, trees, and houses, under a full moon, with mountains in the background.]()
What a Farm Wife Painted: On Grandma Moses, the Pioneer of American Primitivism
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![Colorful abstract graffiti art of a face with exaggerated features on a pink background, with various words and symbols.]()
The Psychology of Anchoring: Thoughts on Art Prices
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![A woman wearing a green strapless bodice and a long, voluminous skirt with a black, red, and green floral pattern, standing in a dimly lit room with ornate wood paneling, a large dark tapestry on the wall, and a tall floral arrangement of red and purple flowers beside her.]()
From London with Love: The King of Vogue
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![A painting of a family in a room, including a woman and three girls in black dresses with white aprons, and a man with a beard sitting at a desk with folders and papers, with framed artwork and a decorated cabinet on the wall.]()
A Tale of Two Portraits: Degas and the Anatomy of Family Life
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![Abstract expressionist painting featuring a chaotic mixture of black, white, yellow, blue, red, and green paint splatters and thick brushstrokes.]()
Composing Abstract Expressionism: On Jazz and Jackson Pollock
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![A collage of various art-related images, including paintings, sculptures, an art auction, and an art exhibition.]()
From London with Love: The Art of the Market
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![A split image featuring a black-and-white photo of a woman with glasses on the left and a camouflage pattern in shades of green, purple, and beige on the right.]()
Disease, Death, and Disaster: Andy Warhol’s Hidden Legacy
Education
During her studies, Maya cultivated an interdisciplinary approach that combined art history with business, marketing, and creative writing. Alongside her academic research, she developed a broad writing practice spanning scholarly research, editorial journalism, book translation and editing, and marketing copywriting. Her training in copywriting further introduced SEO strategy and audience-focused digital communication. Together, these experiences have equipped her to write across a wide range of formats—from academic work and long-form articles to persuasive copy and digital content.
History of Art, M.A.
The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Concentration: Italian Renaissance Art
First-class Dissertation: “In Rooms of Their Own? The Women of Edgar Degas and Federico Zandomeneghi”
Honours: Distinction
History of Art, M.A.
The University of Glasgow, Glasgow
Concentration: Italian Renaissance Art, Impressionist Art, the Art Market
First-class Dissertation: “Medici Politics and Patronage, 1434-1574: Mobilis in Mobili”
Honours: High Distinction, Cum laude
Diploma in Copywriting
The Blackford Centre, London
Focused on SEO strategy, persuasive copywriting, and audience psychology, with practical training in producing engaging content for websites, publications, and digital platforms
American High School Diploma
CATS Academy Boston, Massachusetts
Honours: Class Valedictorian, Excellence in English, Excellence in Leadership, Charles F. Clark Spirit Award
Experience
Writing
Maya writes for ArtTactic, Teen World of Arts, and Art & Culture, among others, where she analyses the art world and art market in a clear and digestible language. Her work reflects a deep love for journalism and creative writing, combining analytical rigour with narrative sensitivity. Alongside this, she runs her own Substack, sharing insights beyond the world of art, and is currently working on her first book.
Ghostwriting
Maya has ghostwritten widely across psychology, behavioural economics, and the art market, notably working with a renowned behavioural scientist on a series exploring the application of behavioural economics to art market behaviour. Alongside this, she has collaborated with numerous authors and psychologists, shaping complex intellectual material into compelling and accessible prose.
Art World Experience
Maya has gained extensive experience across leading institutions and galleries, including Mayfair Gallery, Alon Zakaim Fine Art, Transmission Gallery, the National Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as working with a private family collection. Through these roles, she has developed strong skills in curating, cataloguing, exhibition management, and gallery operations.
Copywriting
Maya has developed copy for a broad spectrum of brands spanning fashion, health and clinics, online education, interior design studios, and creative companies. Her work combines clarity with a strong sense of tone, alongside a solid understanding of SEO and website design, producing content that is both engaging and strategically effective.
Translations
Maya has translated over ten books spanning psychology, business, and fiction, bringing clarity and nuance to complex ideas across disciplines. Her work includes fiction and non-fiction titles such as Navigating Success: Your Guide to Business Development, Your Coaching Manual, The Son of War, and If This Is Love, reflecting both analytical precision and sensitivity to language and narrative voice.
Social Media Management
Maya has strong social media management skills, developing content strategies and designing visually engaging posts using Canva and Photoshop. Her work combines editorial thinking with a clear understanding of audience growth, engagement, and digital trends, applied across cultural content featuring artists, celebrities, and authors, including her work with Teen World of Arts.