Nikolskaya Gallery and STONE present a personal painting project by the artist Maria Barkovskaya "Sun Time". Within the framework of the exhibition, the viewer gets acquainted with two series of works dedicated to the modern adaptation of Russian traditions, as well as with a "tropical" series addressed to the perception of nature. The exposition is united by the desire for a bright and diverse color palette that inspires the viewer to experience positive emotions.

  The name of the project refers to the series of the same name, which includes the works "Morning", "Day", "Evening" and "Night". The compositions are made in colors characteristic of the shades of the sky at different times of the day. Female images in kokoshniks, reflected on the canvases, are filled with emotional and symbolic meaning. So, "Morning" tells about the birth of inner light, about the search for the right personal path through love. "Day" is associated with the highest point of life force, when the "sun" of each of us is at its zenith. “Evening” is the time of fairy tales, mysterious stories, quiet contemplation. Here we meet the image of the goddess Lada with a swan in her hands: in the Slavic mythological tradition, for a good harvest, she covered winter crops with warm snow until next spring. "Night" symbolizes spiritual unity with the boundless cosmos, full of twinkling stars. Events, people and thoughts that occur during the day fade into the background, leaving room for the unknown and the unconscious.

The "Elements" series presents an artistic interpretation of the four elements in the works of the same name "Water", "Earth", "Fire" and "Air". The author associates water with the variability of emotional states and circumstances, earth with the origins and foundation of personality, fire with pure energy and driving force, and air with dreams and aspirations.

The final series, located on the second floor of the exhibition in the STONE house, takes the viewer into a world similar to the Garden of Eden. The artist uses a palette with an emphasis on pink hues, symbolizing a state of peaceful inspiration and the will to live. In tropical forests, plants are not affected by winter, and year by year they become more powerful, strong and beautiful. The artist wants to feel like these plants on her life path both for herself and for all viewers who get acquainted with her works.

Maria Barkovskaya is a professional artist and Master of Architecture. Member of the Russian Union of Artists, the International Art Fund, the International Federation of Watercolorists. Participant of exhibition projects in Russia, UAE, USA, India, Italy and Great Britain. Many paintings are in private collections around the world, several works are kept in museum collections.

Opening date: 21 June