Bored Panda reached out to Aylin Myumyunova, the artist behind these powerful and impactful artworks. First, we asked the artist if she had any life-changing influences that might have helped her with her art and art style in general when it comes to painting.
"I started painting at an early age and I carry an academic background in art. My major influence is the renaissance - old Masters' works. I studied and use the techniques of Leonardo, Rubens, and Caravaggio."
Art, in any kind of form, takes a lot of time not only to practice but also to produce, therefore we asked Myumyunova about how long it takes her to fully finish her paintings.
"It depends on the complexity of the work. It could take from one week to 2 months."
Sometimes creative work can cause quite a burnout, therefore we asked the artist how she dealt with that as well.
"I have a very well-organized schedule and work mainly under inspiration. This doesn't exhaust me to a big level."
We were wondering why the artist chose to portray Ukrainian people in her work, and here's what she told us, "As a European and sensitive person, I was touched by the pain, sadness, strength, power, and faith of the Ukrainian people. This is a contemporary wall involving a lot of social media and unfortunately, it took a major role for Europe and the rest of the world. I think and believe that no human, as well as a living creature, should suffer pain, loss, and displacement..."
We also asked Aylin about how people reacted to her Ukraine-themed work.
"People do like and prefer to put positive paintings in their houses but let's not forget that true art is also about the reality and historical events. We could see very extreme things done in the past and that is just a part of humanity. I can not paint flowers during such crucial events.
I want to leave an important trace and message for the upcoming art-loving generations. The paintings of this theme were admired by most. I had a lot of Ukrainian refugees seeing the paintings and being deeply touched. They cried, told their stories, and showed enormous appreciation and respect for my effort as an artist and human."
The creative process is not easy, but there are many enjoyable parts to it as shared by the artist.
"When it comes to the process of creating something my favorite part is usually when I add finishing touches to the painting. I work in layers and the final touches create that special atmosphere that makes each work alive."
Art, in general, is not easy and requires a lot of patience, time, resources, and in most cases even money, therefore we wanted to know how the talented artist started her own career by painting.
"Before getting into painting, I tried singing and modern dance. My main teacher at primary school advised my mother to involve me more seriously in painting. I did go to school for art and sculpting in Bulgaria, followed by a degree in art and design at Buckinghamshire University, and a master's degree in UEL London."
Artists tend to get motivated by a lot of things such as curiosity, the search for beauty, or even meaning, therefore we were wondering why Myumyunova was motivated to continue creating.
"All three of these aspects are important to me. Good painting is similar to good music and poetry. It has to have a strong impact, aesthetics, magic, and meaning."
