Maria Prymachenko (1909-1997)

Andrei Siniavski and his wife Maria Rozanova were passionate about Russian primitive and popular art, and travelled extensively within Russia from the late 50s. During this period, they met Maria Prymachenko, and Rozanova wrote a long article about her in the art magazine Dekorativnoe Iskusstvo [Decorative Arts] in 1965.
Prymachenko was a celebrated folk artist who was born in the Ukrainian village of Bolotnya, where she was to spend the rest of her life. In her art, she focused on drawing, embroidery, and painting on ceramics. Her works are enigmatic, emotionally charged, and were often conceived from images that had appeared to her in dreams. Her visually arresting compositions frequently depict fantastical mythological beasts who, to Prymachenko, represent a synthesis of folk legend with the characters and traits of real-life people.