The artworks of Maria Prymachenko

For the first time ever in the UK: the artworks of Maria Prymachenko on the showcase at Saatchi Gallery.

23 artworks by Maria Prymachenko, preserved by the artist’s family for more than fifty years, are exhibited to art connoisseurs in London’s Saatchi Gallery from 13 July to 31 August. The project is implemented by the Prymachenko Family Foundation jointly with the Embassy of Ukraine.

Many of the works in the exhibition are double-sided, providing an insight into the self-taught artist’s working processes and methods. Originally conceived as illustrations for a children’s book, they reflect life in a small village in the Kyiv region through magical and naïve imagery.

Maria Prymachenko took up drawing early, and throughout her challenging life, the artist created more than 800 artworks, gaining recognition in her lifetime: her paintings have been exhibited in various venues around the world, with Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso mentioned among her admirers.

The museum, where a collection of Maria Prymachenko's paintings was previously held, was destroyed when Russian forces occupied a local village in Ukraine in 2022. The works of the folk artist can be observed only in exhibition format now.