{ Slavic Artist Spotlight } Maria Prymachenko

Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk artist and pacifist who used art as resistance. She was born in 1908 in a small village called Bolotnia, which happened to be only 30km from Chernobyl.

Early in life she was diagnosed with polio, giving her a very unique perspective for one so young. Relatives would describe her as being very compassionate and considerate not just for people but for all things in nature. Even with the disease, Maria learned and practiced the traditional Slavic crafts. Eventually though, her true artistic calling showed itself:

Once, as a young girl, I was tending a gaggle of geese. When I got with them to a sandy beach, on the bank of the river, after crossing a field dotted with wild flowers, I began to draw real and imaginary flowers with a stick on the sand… Later, I decided to paint the walls of my house using natural pigments. After that I’ve never stopped drawing and painting.

As she began painting, themes of the struggle between good and evil appeared. These ideas were reflected through images inspired by traditional Slavic folk art. This never-ending pull between good and evil are depicted through various animals, bold contrasting colors and an interesting tension that carries through each piece.

Maria lived right in the middle of two world wars, no doubt sparking her thoughts on good and evil and the anti-war sentiment that became the backbone of her paintings. The consequences of these wars was devastating. Her brother was killed by Nazis. She also lost a husband to WWII and never remarried.

Through it all, Maria never accepted money for her paintings. She gifted them instead to her friends and neighbors until her death in 1997.

Her resistance against war continued after her death. In 2022 after the invasion of Russia, a deliberate attack burned down a museum housing many of her paintings. However, a local man ran into the building while it was on fire and saved as many of her works as he could. While 25 were reportedly lost, her message of peace lives on.

Images courtesy of the Daily Art Magazine.