On April 16th and 17th, within the framework of the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, an exhibition of paintings by Maria Prymachenko will open in Strasbourg.
The exhibition aims not only to introduce visitors to the unique style of the renowned artist but also to draw the attention of European parliamentarians to Ukrainian cultural heritage, which Russia is destroying through its aggressive actions.
"The actions of the Russian Federation in aggression against Ukraine are a constant reminder of the danger to its cultural heritage. In addition to direct attacks on cultural objects, there are also more subtle forms of cultural heritage destruction, such as the removal of archives, propaganda through education, distortion of historical narratives, and so on," said the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the PACE, Maria Mezentseva.
The exhibition, organized with the support of the Kyiv gallery Sofia-A and the marketing agency Superheroes.Marketing, will feature 20 paintings owned by direct descendants of Maria Prymachenko, the Prymachenko Family Foundation. The artist's descendants are confident that her creativity is unique because it is understandable to anyone who knows how to look not only with their eyes but also with their heart.
Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian artist who worked in the genre of "naïve art." The artist never received formal training in painting but created her unique and enigmatic world in art. She drew inspiration from Ukrainian folklore—fairy tales, legends, songs—and her rich imagination.