Frieda The Frog.

Mash’s mom, Αφροδίτη (Aphrodite), known as Frieda in Greek, inspired the story of Frieda the Frog—a chaotic, colourful plush toy Maria’s mom discovered in her 20s. As a child, she had rarely found her name on personalized items, and when she did, it was often misspelled. Finding the frog with her name spelled perfectly felt like a small triumph.

For over 30 years, Frieda the Frog sat perched on Mash’s dresser, quietly witnessing her life unfold. A Mash reached the age her mother never did, she chose to honour her mom by stepping out of her comfort zone and embarking on an artist residency at Château d’Orquevaux in France, a place her mother never visited.

Bringing Frieda the Frog along, Mash left behind the familiarity of Greece, where her previous residencies took place, to explore an unfamiliar language and culture. Frieda the Frog, once a whimsical childhood keepsake, now symbolizes Mash’s journey of remembrance and celebration — a bridge between the steps her mother never took and the ones Mash boldly chose for herself.