Margaret Bayalis is a figurative oil painter known for her emotionally resonant compositions and textured surfaces that honor the enduring strength and grace of the female form. With a lifelong passion for visual storytelling, Bayalis has exhibited her work in galleries and juried shows across the U.S., earning numerous awards and placements in both national and international exhibitions. Her career has spanned decades, with her art evolving through a wide range of media before settling into her signature approach in oils. Over time, Margaret developed a deeply personal style that blends abstraction with classical influence—creating figures that feel both timeless and raw. In 2020, she gained widespread attention for Faces Not Numbers, an international portrait initiative that honored lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic through intimate, hand-painted memorials. The project was widely covered by media outlets throughout the Northeast and Florida and helped position Bayalis as a voice of empathy and remembrance through art. Her works are held in numerous private and corporate collections across the U.S. and abroad. Artist Statement:My current body of work, Eternal Forms, explores the female figure through a lens of reverence, subtle abstraction, and historical reference. I am drawn to the elegance of form found in classical sculpture and fresco, and I seek to echo that timeless quality while maintaining an expressive, contemporary edge. By distilling the human figure down to its most essential shapes, I aim to reveal its quiet power and unspoken emotion. I incorporate acrylic plaster into my canvases to introduce a tactile surface—evoking the weathered patina of ancient walls and sacred spaces. These textured elements act as both visual memory and structural depth. Though rooted in tradition, these works are not nostalgic. They are an active conversation between past and present, between body and surface, and between what is seen and what is felt. The Eternal Forms collection is available exclusively through Drew Marc Gallery.