Thread by @ukr_arthistory

115 years ago Maria Prymachenko was born. Truly a genius of Ukrainian art. You've probably seen her artwork. But let's talk about some myths about Prymachenko and why they are untrue. A thread 🧵

"Our army, our defenders", 1978

❌She was uneducated and had no art education ✅ She studied for four years in the school, which was typical for peasants. She had no academic art education, but her mum taught her embroidery and 🇺🇦 traditional art. In Kyiv she graduated from Masters of Folk Art School.

❌She painted only naive animals and flowers. ✅ Her works were about different topics – the trauma of war, the cold war and nuclear terror, the Chornobyl catastrophe, alcohol addiction, Ukrainian songs, etc.
"May be cursed nuclear war", 1989

❌She never left her village. ✅She studied in Kyiv where the Central Experimental Studios of Folk Art and then (after the Second World War) she visited the city for the openings of her exhibitions, and to visit friends (like Alla Horska, Lidia Orel, etc). But she never left 🇺🇦

❌She was rich because she was famous. ✅She had many exhibitions even abroad, but she lived very modestly in the village. Serhiy Parajanov remembers that Prymachenko asked to gift her cement because it was hard to find everything.

❌We know everything about her. ✅There are not so many researchers about her and her art. That's why there are still so many myths about Prymachenko and she's still considered as just a naive artist, but she was so much more than that.

❌Russian war on Ukraine doesn't affect her heritage. ✅Unfortunately in February 2022 museum in Ivankiv where many of her works (as well as ceramics, and embroidery) were destroyed. About 15 works were saved by courageous museum workers. For example this "Blue Bull", 1947

Maria Prymachenko Family Foundation wants to build a new museum in her native village Bolotnya (can you imagine there is still no museum of Prymachenko?). You can support them and buy clothes with her works – ukrainianbeasts.com

And of course, if you want to know more – here is a book with my article about Prymachenko and why she is so important for Ukrainian art through the years, they are shipping worldwide. rodovid.net/product/298/ma…