About

Marta Pitchuk born in lvano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. She paints MOTANKA.
The motanka doll is an ancient Ukrainian talisman of protection which was made by mothers for their children with warmth and care.

The paintings show how the inanimate doll of previous centuries steps into the present and merges into one with a real-life woman in flesh and blood. The living Motanka is no longer an object but a personality with its own character, thoughts and views. It is the embodiment of the past which came to life on canvas.

When working on the image of the Motanka, the artist paints the doll's face meticulously, paying attention to detail, and then she covers it with threads. This is done to give Motanka a soul. She becomes not only a beautiful image, but also a profound personality with her own emotions and feelings. If you look closely, you can see the woman's eyes beneath a layer of paint.
Strokes of the paint move cyclically, imitating the way in which the traditional doll is created. The pictures are painted on a dark background which emphasize a depth, creating a mysterious atmosphere and a feeling of intimacy as if you were alone with the Motanka.

The paintings depict elements of the traditional Ukrainian garments; however, not only those which we are accustomed to, but also those which have been forgotten. The author researches every ethnic region of Ukraine, attempting to find something special and unusual about them.
The paintings are stored in private collections in England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Argentina, USA, Canada.