Maria Zeniou

“The most important thing is making people feel something, no matter what.”

Aerial acrobatics, trapeze artistry, showing off her strength as a strongwoman, in fakir acts, fire and bubble-blowing performances, old-fashioned variety shows, horseback acts, and much, much more. For nearly thirty years, Maria Zeniou has been an active and inventive creative force within a variety of genres. She has graced such stages as Göteborgs Stadsteater and the Göteborg Opera, toured with circuses and magicians, and has also created her own tailored performances for all kinds of events.

Motivation:
Maria Zeniou has been performing and reinventing herself as a circus artist for thirty years now. Audiences have seen her as an aerial acrobat, a strongwoman, a fakir, and a fire performance artist – but also as an actress.

With passion and a fountain of ideas, she has developed her artistic persona to perform in such disparate contexts as the Varietésällskapet Karneval, stage productions at Göteborgs Stadsteater and the Göteborg Opera, musicals, and event shows.

For her versatility, unsinkable drive, and her pioneering efforts within the circus arts throughout the west coast region of  Sweden, Maria Zeniou is awarded the 2023 Culture Scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.