Iryna Maksymova - SHE WILL WIN

Taken from our FIGHTERS Issue. Art is supposed to be personal – to the viewer and the artist. Iryna Maksymova’s work accomplishes that in a beautiful way. The Ukrainian artist’s storyline, colours and characters seem simple but reflect the deepest parts of her inner feelings.

Every piece is a voice, a manifesto and a call to action. The female silhouettes, which are present in many of her artworks, are a powerful symbol with their male and feminine characteristics. The animals she paints are given a voice they don’t usually have. Her work is a statement for Feminism and ecology and against sexism and any cruelty towards humans or animals. Some might say that these themes have always been on everyone’s lips, but why should you stay silent? Maksymova’s practice has the power to influence people and to make them reflect not only on the visual part but also on the idea and concept that might motivate them to change and be changed. Unlike many other artists, she doesn’t believe in creative processes or motivation.

She believes in hard work and not waiting for things to fall into your lap. “Hard and continuous work will bring experience, confidence, opportunities, more ideas and even more work,” she says.