Maria Primachenko
One of the few positive things to come out of the invasion of Ukraine, is that we are talking a lot more about the country and its history. Its importance as a producer of wheat. And how it has already experienced a horrendous, man-made famine known as Holmodomor.
We can donate money, we can support refugees but often we just feel helpless and don’t know what to do. So at the very least, I am educating myself about Ukrainian culture and learning about artists like Maria Primachenko, (1908-1977). She was self-taught and worked in a naive style. Her works are inspiring but their titles are fantastic too.
Like Rat on a Journey (main pic in this post).
Or this one:
Father Frost carries the New Year tree (1960)
Or this one:
Ukrainian milkmaids work hard like miners (1970)
Or this one:
Savage hump shaker (1977)
I finish with Black Beast, which seems apt to the times we are living in.
Black Beast (1936)