Maya Haruk

Description

The New York artist Maya Hayuk, whose familial roots hail from Ukraine, is one of the world's best-known representatives of contemporary mural art. Her untitled work here at the Urban Art Biennale 2022 bears her unmistakable signature: brightly colored compositions of interwoven surfaces and geometric shapes that create dovetailing abstract patterns reminiscent of those of a kaleidoscope. The play with symmetry is also reflected in the arrangement of the individual parts of the unusual triptych on display in the Möllerhalle [burden shed]. Hayuk's works conceals a multitude of references—from Ukrainian folk art to Tibetan mandalas to coral reefs. The stylistic device of the paint drips employed by the artist oscillates between the high and low of high art à la Jackson Pollock and permissible artisanal imperfection. What is Maya Hayuk all about? Perhaps the most obvious answer is the best: color.