Maria Chlastawa – one of the oldest active painters from Zalipie; in addition to the characteristic flower paintings, she creates traditional paper cutouts, net curtains and openwork paintings maintaining the local style of Powiśle Dąbrowskie (Zalipie, Małopolskie Voivodeship, Powiśle Dąbrowskie)

She has lived amongst colourful flowers and patterns since her childhood. She started decorating her family home when she was still a small girl learning the arts and crafts from her mother, aunts and other women relatives. She paints on walls and paper, and also creates tissue paper flowers, the so-called pająki (literally spiders), marriage sticks, net curtains and paper cutouts.

Her works have been presented in numerous places in Poland and abroad. She is not only an active painter but also a teacher – she runs workshops in Zalipie and passes on her skills to her daughter and granddaughters who continue the family tradition. Although she has now painted for more than six decades, she is not going to retire any time soon. A house without flowers would not be complete, would it?