In Iryna Maksymova’s art, women are not objects of beauty to be looked at – they are acting beings, filled with character, personality and presence. Here, there are no Instagram models or idealized Greek goddesses – instead, her canvases are filled with real women, unafraid to show their bodies as they are. By referencing the compositions of classical works of art such as Matisse’s La Dance, and mythological subjects painted over and over in academic art, such as Diana and Apollo Killing Niobe's Children and Jeanne d’Arc, Maksymova exposes the long-standing bias of art. In her paintings, all roles are filled by women, even those traditionally filled by men, such as angels and warriors. By showing that we might as well have been creating artworks where women take charge and drive the action forward, we are made aware just how much of art throughout history has been made by men for men. Maksymova’s bold, dynamic brushwork emphasizes the character of the women depicted – present, forceful, and full of character. A graduate of the Lviv Polytechnic National University with a degree in graphic design (2013), Iryna Maksymova has exhibited at galleries all over the world since 2020, including in Ukraine, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, Hong Kong and South Korea. Her works are featured in museum collections in The Bunker Artspace Museum in Florida, the W Art Foundation and the Hong Art Museum in Suzhou and in private collections around the worlds including in Ukraine, the USA, Australia, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland, China, Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, Taiwan, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Czech Republic, Thailand, Netherlands and Latvia.