Born in Budapest in 1927 and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest in 1950, specializing in painting, Maria Gánóczy spent a year in the sculpture department under the guidance of Zsigmond Kisfaludy Stróbl. She then worked with masters such as Rezső Burghardt, Aurél Bernáth, Sándor Bortnyik, and László Bencze. In 1954, she married the painter József Breznay, with whom she had seven children and also raised two children from his previous marriage.
Maria Gánóczy primarily painted figurative works populated by a gallery of burlesque and satirical characters. She used her technique to express herself, sometimes employing broad, dynamic brushstrokes that brought grotesque and satirical portraits to life. She undertook study trips to France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. The influence of the Franco-Italian tradition of the early century is evident in her works. Her figurative compositions, landscapes, and still lifes are characterized by lively brushwork and a somewhat grotesque approach. She enjoyed exploring unusual situations and perspectives and was not a stranger to humor and satire.
Her work has been exhibited in various solo shows, particularly in Belgium and Germany. Her pieces are mainly held in Hungary, some in the public collection of the Hungarian National Gallery, Museum of Kiscell and with private collectors in Germany, Belgium, and Italy.
Since 1954, Maria Gánóczy has also been involved in making short films, from which director Péter Forgács created a documentary, "Painterly Eras," in 2016. In the same year, she organized a retrospective exhibition at the Culture Curia Klebelsberg in Budapest, commemorating the 100th anniversary of her husband Jozsef Breznay's birth.
From a young age, Maria Ganoczy wrote stories and essays inspired by her daily life. A polyglot, she engaged in translation work, one of the most touching being the translation of her great-grandmother Maria Machik's German-language diary.
Thanks to Maria Gánóczy's meticulous work in archiving, researching, and documenting for over forty years, the Breznay Gánóczy Foundation has come to fruition.