Surreal scenes of faceless beings blending into their environments adorned the halls of Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in Berlin until recently. These creatures were created by the painter Rita Maikova, who is from Ukraine, and is based in Barcelona. Maikova treats these beings as kindred spirits that have grown alongside her throughout her life. Following her solo exhibition Find Me in the Garden, running at the gallery from February 15 – March 16, 2024, Maikova joins STIR in an interview to discuss her artmaking and the physicalities of the beings she brings to life.

Maikova is a contemporary surrealist painter, and like the Spanish painter Salvador Dali and modern surrealists, she is also concerned with presenting a permissive state that sits between reality and the unconscious mind through her visual art. Owing to this preoccupation, the contemporary artist also shares some characteristics of Dali or Andre Breton’s work within her practice, such as a sense of fluidity to the forms of her protagonists. Maikova discusses her art practice, telling STIR, "My art is deeply personal, intertwining themes of memory, fantasy and the subconscious. My works explore the delicate balance between the real and the imagined, drawing from personal narratives, dreams and a connection to nature that reflects a distinct, imaginative world.”

As the Ukrainian artist explains, the essence of her painting practice lies in the ability of her artworks to weave together the past, present and future through fragmented, yet interconnected narratives and symbolism. Besides her faceless, fluid protagonists, other fantastical elements such as dragons and magical eggs make appearances as well. Maikova notes, “The use of dragons and eggs in my work, for example, is not merely a nod to childhood fantasies but a complex exploration of protection, transformation and potential. These elements serve as metaphors for life's cyclical nature and the inner strength that guides us through its phases.”

Coming to Maikova’s protagonists, one wonders how faceless beings fit into her artistic worldview. Surely they are somewhat unsettling to behold? She acknowledges this, telling STIR, “I find the absence of faces in my work to represent an ‘empty window'—a concept that I find both unsettling and fascinating in its boundless potential. It's a deliberate void…”

I find the absence of faces in my work to represent an ‘empty window'—a concept that I find both unsettling and fascinating in its boundless potential. – Rita Maikova, artist

The artist believes that faces, especially eyes, concretise characters. She prefers to present her protagonists as blank slates so audiences can endow them with any feeling that her compositions instil. “...Yet,” she adds, “I am open to the evolution of my practice; I envision a future where faces might emerge within these windows, introducing new dimensions and enriching my world with additional layers of meaning.”

Maikova’s practice is deeply influenced by her life journey. She believes that her work expresses her desire for a “simpler, more magical world,” which one could certainly glean from a viewing of the art exhibition Find Me in the Garden, once they move past the strange nature of her characters. She intends to draw her audiences into that world and encourage them to reconcile the mundane and the mystical. As Maikova puts it, “My work is an invitation to explore the layers of our existence, to find unity and peace in the midst of chaos, and to dream of a world where the magical and the everyday coexist harmoniously.”

‘Find Me in the Garden’ is on view until March 16, 2024, at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin.