"The Blessed Virgin Mary, cover us — Ukrainian Symbolic Painting" Painting

Maryna Melnyk is a Ukrainian contemporary artist based in the United Kingdom, working primarily in figurative and symbolic painting rooted in Ukrainian decorative tradition, heritage, and cultural narratives. Deeply inspired by Petrykivka painting, Ukrainian ornamentation and embroidery motifs, she transforms floral forms into visual narratives of resilience, love, and cultural identity. Her ongoing series Free People explores themes of Ukrainian strength, spirituality, and inner freedom, blending folk traditions with contemporary stylistics. Another important part of her practice focuses on symbolic and philosophical painting, where personal reflection intertwines with collective memory. Growing up within a culture shaped by decades of oppression, repression, and attempts to erase Ukrainian identity, Melnyk views art as a form of cultural resistance and preservation. Her works reflect fragments of Ukrainian history while offering a deeply personal response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Influenced by Ukrainian boho aesthetics, Art Deco, and Ukrainian modernism, her visual language merges heritage and individuality, tradition and modernity. Through her practice, Maryna preserves cultural memory while giving it a contemporary voice that resonates with today’s collectors and viewers.