"Chicky" Painting

Pseudonym MaryVana (Maria Brukhlii)
Born on October 14, 1988 (37 years old) in Korets, Rivne region, Ukraine, and temporarily relocated to hometown during the war.
I've been drawing since school, but I started identifying myself as an artist in 2021. That's when I started working on the project "Ukrainian Village. Part One. Animals". I explore Ukrainian identity. I promote Ukrainstvo (a 19th-century term referring to supporters of Ukrainian folklore, everyday life, songs, traditions, and efforts to preserve and study them). I raise the issue of combating stereotypes. I celebrate uniqueness. I reflect with bright colors on the naive vision of a new world based on national heritage. Also, at the core of all projects, there is a note of environmental consciousness (works are created on the principle of upcycling), which allows the viewer to think about their attitude towards the environment)

About "Ukrainian Village. Part One. Animals"
How do we typically envision the Ukrainian village in paintings? Fields, a clay-hut, characters wearing national costumes and all that sort of thing. This is a depiction of the past which should be cherished and remembered. That’s how life was lived in the past. Now let’s delve into the present.
Honestly, I was sure that the rural population in Ukraine predominates in number. And after having started the research, I realised how wrong I was. For me village is not about numbers, inferiority, remoteness or anything like that. The Ukrainian village is about traditions, culture and ethnicity. It’s the “cradle of the nation”. But, unfortunately, villagers tend to be ashamed of their roots. Because we were all fed with our mother’s milk that the village is the lowest of the lowand we must get out. City stands for opportunities. However, not everyone is born in big cities. We live in the era of opportunities when your location doesn’t matter as long as you have internet connection and post nearby. The only thing to be changed is perception.
But this behaviour can be explained.The history of destroying Ukrainian national consciousness. Let's take the last century as an example, which has the greatest impact on us now. Yes, in 1959-92, the share of rural residents decreased from 54.3 to 32.6% respectively. And these are just numbers that indicate the total destruction of Ukrainian language speakers and cultural heritage. Maximum urbanization and humiliation of villagers.
However, we live here and now.