María | Creating multidimensional universes, driven by anthropological curiosity

Maria Baños is a creative force whose work dissolves boundaries between disciplines. A creative director, musician, and founder of the multidisciplinary studios named Art Studies and Muses of Now, Maria approaches each project as a living, breathing ecosystem. Her collaborations with KM by Lange — including the evocative Zemlia fashion show — reflect a shared language built on storytelling, human connection, and deeply meaningful art.

H – After knowing more about you, your vision and your projects, only one definition could come to my mind to describe you: ‘multidimensional artist’. Would you define yourself as such?

M – Oh, Thank you Heba. I feel honored that you describe me this way as it really resonates with me. Not only the multidisciplinarity about it but also the openness and freedom attached to it. I find it hard to label myself, but with time I’ve realized that what I feel, think, create…is not attached to only one discipline. The way I see and feel the world and therefore, how I create has always many disciplines intertwined as a base point.

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When I create an art show, when I film or even when I design a book – to me, the complete process is hyper dimensional. One example can be ‘Zemlia’ KM by Lange fashion show that Kati created a couple of years ago. My focus was the music, but I wasn’t just performing with my violin — it was way more. I was involved with her from the very beginning in everything. I did a lot of the research for the fashion show. We watch Ukrainian films together and read poetry, finding a seed for the show, for the music, for all the dimensions involved. I also realized that I'm good at visualising my ideas in detail from A to Z. I can overview and make decisions from different creative disciplines and perspectives, impacting the whole process and outcome of the final project..

H – It’s very inspiring to see how your talents are woven together in the way you work.

Is this how Art Studies was born? 

M – Somehow yes. Since a very young age I saw myself having my own creative studio; a playground where I could tap into my creativity considering all dimensions and work with other artists and creatives that inspire me. 

H – Can you tell me a little bit more about that? What does every day look like at your studio? 

M – It’s a great question as every day is very different and this is something that I was looking forward to. I launched Art Studies as a place where I could bring my experience as Creative and Art Direction but fully focused on the topics that inspire me most: art and design. My curiosity is endless and I love to learn new things every day, so Art Studies serves as a playground to develop my own practice while sharing my creativity and knowledge with others. From Art Direction for an art book to Creative Direction for an art show, each project has a completely different brief, team, and artistic mission.

I realized that this ever-changing atmosphere is where I feel at my habitat.

Art Studies

I have built Art Studies this way, based also in understanding who I am and what I need in order to thrive – not only creatively but also as a human. I thrive in spaces where I have the freedom to create under my own rhythm. That's where my creativity really flows to an incredible level. This was not the case before when I was working a 9am-6pm job. For example, I’m an early riser, from 5am to 12pm is where the magic happens for me. 

H – That's great! I'm happy you have a space where you can thrive. So can you tell me who your collaborators are? How did you meet them and how do you guys work together?

M – It depends on each project but I can say I feel so lucky thanks to all the people (from clients, to collaborators and partners) that I have the chance to work with. Some are good friends who I've been working with for a long time – like Kati – I also collaborate with new people, I love to find new voices and different ways of creating. This expands my soul and my vision of the world. I tell them about my idea or project, and ask them if they want to be part of it and create something stronger together. And the power of a great team working together towards the same goal…wow, it blows my mind each time.

H – Can you tell me a little bit about what your inspirations are?

M – I always say that my creativity is driven by anthropological curiosity. I'm very curious about humanity at large. Maybe this is a phase of my life, but it's been a life-long inspiration in anything I’ve created or I currently do. I'm very curious about who we are, what matters to us, what touches our hearts and senses. I always say “human beings are my masters, my teachers” – I love to learn from people, from their ideas, from their experiences. There's no better life school than being out there, living in ‘first person’, meeting new people and learning from each other’s lives. It's more valuable to listen to someone who did it before and hear their experiences and struggles and achievements. That's why Art Studies, Muses of Now, everything that I've created in the past, and anything I’ll create in the future will have a profound connection to what humanity is experiencing. To our contemporary quest.

H – Nice, and I think that really comes out in your art because it has a really humanistic feel, so that does make a lot of sense.

M – Oh, Thank you!

H  – Of course. Was this always your passion? 

M  – Art was always my passion ever since I was very young. The idea of creating things from zero has differentiated me since a very young age. I didn't want to follow a path that was written. I didn't want to dress as my friends at school. If everybody brought a new toy,  I wanted to create it myself. I always had this vision of questioning the known paths and trying to look elsewhere. Also, I was educated in a household where art was incredible and nurturing and really important. And that's why I had the chance to study art as a kid. At the same time, art wasn’t seen as a career that I could dedicate my life to. It was something that is for your soul and intellect and gives you in so many levels, but I never saw it as ‘a profession’. But art is my language. So, my 20s and 30s have been this journey of exploring different places (I lived in Berlin, Stockholm, New York and Paris), industries (Fashion, Hospitality, Art), and I finally can say that I’ve found ‘my arena’ working as Creative Director in the art and design world. I am still growing and tapping into my art practice daily. I do believe that art is not a destination, it is a way to see the world. It’s a life journey.

H  – What opportunities or resources helped you get to this path? What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar journey?

Resource wise, I would say: you just need to start. Start with what you already have. 

Do you have a camera? a studio? a group of great friends? a vision?

My takeaway from life experiences is that if you want to try something new, you need to go and do it. Nobody is going to knock on your door and offer that exact idea, job, project, to you. Nobody is going to suddenly ask you to tap into the art industry or to do your own art. No, it has to come from you. You have to be brave enough to look there, in that hidden part inside you, reconnect with your own inner fire and then go out there and start it.

That's the biggest thing for all of us. We are all afraid to put our full self out there with society and industry expectations.

We should remove all those expectations. I'm trying to embody that as much as I can. I'm trying to embody a way of living that is not by the norm, that may not be typical but it is what makes sense for me. By building Muses of Now and Art Studies, having my own studio, working with clients, living in so many different countries on my own, being the way I am as a woman, it's a daily decision of knowing what I feel and what I want. Maybe it's not exactly what society expects from me and maybe some people question why I do what I do. But the more you tap into your own authentic self, the more you feel the freedom to just be.

H – Thank you. Thank you for saying that, honestly, because I really relate to it because my parents also like told me not to major in art because that's not what like a good job is in their eyes, but honestly one of the first things that Kati said to me that it is my life and if you want to do something, then you should do it. And to see that that worked out for you is very inspiring, so thank you for sharing.

M – You're welcome, and 100% I agree with Kati on that.Trust her, she's a wise woman.

Also, Kati and I have a similar path as well. She also studied business and she was a marketing director. Kati is also a cross-roads: the strategic mind but also the artistic sensibility and vision. We are a rare case – in a good way.

H – Definitely. So, the next question is, has your identity impacted your craft or your work in any way?

M – I'm a very visual person – my strongest sense is vision. So that's why anything that is visual (photography, film, painting, scenography…) really speaks to me. I also compose music, listen to music, or write, but I always ‘see things’. So from painting to filming to photography to art direction…anything that has a visual aspect really calls me. I think this relates to what I create or art or the person I'm involved with, is this visual part, which is part of my identity. 

But many other aspects too: For example, being the small kid of a big family, six brothers and sisters, this definitely affects not only what I create but the way I create it. Knowing the importance of a community has made me very tribal when I create things. I love to co-create, the idea of creating a movement such as Muses of Now, or the way I approach my studio, and even how I treat my clients, I really try to tap into this tribal way of doing

things. 

Her World

Maria’s world is one where fashion, music, design, and philosophy coexist, where curiosity leads and form follows feeling. Each project is a constellation of ideas, collaborators, and textures — held together with a vision that was built from point zero. Through her thoughtful approach, Maria reminds us that creative direction isn’t just about shaping what we see — it’s about how we feel it. In the world of KM by Lange, where every detail is intentional, her voice adds depth, nuance, and soul. 

Kati Lanhe