Maria Prymachenko (1909–1997) an icon of Ukrainian art
Along with the title of the exhibition: “A Tiger came into the Garden: Art of Maria Prymachenko” we are connected to the world of the artist: humanity and nature, drawing on folk traditions of Polesia, rich in symbols and metaphor.
Maria Prymachenko painted people, animals and plants in her everyday surroundings. Her images of the world built on observations of the everyday life of Bolotnya undergo a magical transformation.
Her characteristic bestiary, containing numerous depictions of “humanized creatures” in an archaic composition with heads forward and bodies in profile, comprises numerous elaborate allegories, often expressing moral judgments, mocking human vices, or celebrating the delights of everyday life.
The garden mentioned in the title of the exhibition represents nature, which coexists harmoniously with humans, and in exchange for their work gifts them with all its bounty, while the tiger symbolizes the mysterious, fantastic and wild:
“The tiger came into the orchard And rejoiced That the apple trees have borne fruit, Apples aplenty”
ft/ Kate Zaniewska
Place/ MSN Warsaw
