Since childhood, Prymachenko suffered from polio, which forced her to endure pain, walk on crutches, undergo three surgeries, and eventually wear a prosthetic device that corrected her gait and eased her movements. The illness heightened her extraordinary powers of observation and sensitivity.
Her artistic journey began at the age of 17, when she decorated her family’s house with traditional folk paintings. Soon after, neighbors commissioned her to decorate their homes, rewarding her with a piglet — a gift that later saved her family from starvation.
Prymachenko began painting with watercolors on drawing paper at the age of 28, when she was invited as an embroiderer to the Central Experimental Workshops at the Kyiv Museum of Ukrainian Art. Her unique style and innate talent deeply impressed the teachers, who provided every opportunity for her to develop her artistic skills.
Participation in the All-Ukrainian Folk Art Exhibition in 1936 earned Prymachenko a First-Degree Diploma, after which her works were displayed in Moscow, Paris, Warsaw, Sofia, Montreal, and Prague. Articles about her appeared in newspapers and magazines, and museums began acquiring her paintings. Marc Chagall, inspired by Prymachenko’s fantastic creatures, introduced similar motifs into his own work. Pablo Picasso once remarked that Mariia would have become more famous than himself had she lived in France.
With the outbreak of World War II, Prymachenko returned to her native village. While her husband went to the front, she cared for her parents and raised her son, whom she later taught to paint. He would also become a People’s Artist of Ukraine. After the war, her art did not conform to the prevailing socialist standards, and Prymachenko poured her creativity into sewing clothing. She worked without patterns, measurements, or even scissors — relying solely on her eye and hands.
In the early 1960s, thanks to numerous exhibitions, Prymachenko began receiving letters from children who admired her work and often enclosed their own drawings. Together with her son Fedir, she wrote back to them and invited young admirers to visit. Children began arriving from across Ukraine, and Prymachenko started holding workshops. Soon, adults joined as well, forming what became known as “Mariia’s School”.
She retained a clear mind and an excellent memory until her last days. She painted without glasses until the age of 75, loved people deeply, and left behind a message of peace and love for all.
Prymachenko’s works, representing the tradition of Ukrainian naïve art, continue to astonish the art world. She created mysterious and enchanting images inspired by Ukrainian nature, fairy tales, legends, folk narratives, and her boundless imagination. Her vivid and fantastic world still captivates audiences and influences contemporary artists. Today, her illustrations are featured in Japanese primers, and international media such as The Times and The Guardian write about her. Her name is inscribed in the World Encyclopedia of Art. Her paintings have been exhibited in Poland, France, Canada, Russia, Germany, and many other countries, including at the Venice Biennale. In 2009, UNESCO declared the Year of Mariia Prymachenko.
Over her lifetime, Mariia Prymachenko created more than 800 paintings. 650 of her works are preserved in the National Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art in Kyiv.