About Marina

Marina Malyarenko, artist.

Marina was born in Halych, an ancient city in western Ukraine full of medieval ruins and prehistoric artifacts reclaimed by nature. Early in her life Marina learned the craft of traditional Ukrainian decoration technique Petrykivka.

In 2009 she worked as a jewelry artist in Ivano Frankivsk with Ukrainian designer Lubov Chernikova. Marina was making hand painted wooden jewelry and designs for embroidery for the Chernikova brand. Tiny details made a huge success for the brand.

After immigration to the US in 2012 she started working with bigger paintings on canvas and wood experimenting with different painting techniques.

In 2019 Marina Malyarenko was the lead artist for Catharsis butterfly installation for Burning Man. The 8 feet tall butterfly made with metal and wood was hand painted by Marina in Petrykivka style with fluorescent acrylic paint. After Burning Man the installation was displayed in Seattle community center Dill and in downtown Redmond, WA.

During the pandemic Marina created a series of paintings dedicated to the underappreciated consciousness of fungi, plants, insects and their networks. The series was shown to a limited audience but was fully sold out except for 2 pieces which were never meant to be sold so fast.

Marina then incorporated Petrykivka into her unique style of painting entities from some other world full of myths and magic.

“I use the same traditional technique and tools to paint my modern interpretation of this art form. For instance, I paint all berries and round elements using fingerprints, while all the intricate details are painted with handmade brushes from cat fur. Please note that these brushes are cruelty-free and made from hair sourced only from the cats' bellies and only if the cats are willing to have their fur trimmed. Ukrainians have long believed that painting helps and protects and that the person who paints puts a part of their soul and energy into the artwork. Therefore, painting Petrykivka is a way to spread love - love for nature, people, my culture, and the entire planet. My art is also an opportunity to showcase Ukraine and our culture to the world, introducing viewers to ancient traditions and modern images of Ukrainians. I put my heart and soul, symbols, and ideas into my drawings, believing that this energy will warm and protect those who have a piece of that love in their homes.”