Mixed-media artist Mariana K's reality-twisting worlds are magically atmospheric

Mariana Klymchuk, aka Mariana K, is a Ukrainian mixed media visual artist now living in Cumbria. Working primarily in photography and painting, she remixes and reimagines reality to create exciting and unique perspectives on the world.

We love the fresh and original vision of her moody and deeply atmospheric work, which she's selling as prints and about to exhibit at art exhibitions across the UK. And this achievement is all the more impressive, considering she studied not art but International Law and English at university.

Instead, Mariana developed her art skills by practising in her spare time, outside of her day job as a freelance translator and interpreter.

After graduating, she attended several non-academic courses in photography and art to level up her skills and, in time, started to take on photography and illustration commissions. In February 2021, she launched a print shop with her landscape artworks.

She's since had several collaborations with different creatives from Canada and the USA, the results of which can be seen on her social media, with some available for purchase.

In the wake of the war in Ukraine, in April 2022, Mariana moved to Cumbria, UK, and today works on personal and commercial projects as an illustrator, art director, fine artist, and photographer focusing on travel, lifestyle and architecture.

"The last couple of years have been a bit of a whirlwind," she tells us. "What started as a way to capture things my way turned into a print-selling business, and now I'm preparing to show my work and several art exhibitions in the UK this summer. Funny how things turn out."

So how did she find her style? "The thing is, I didn't look for it," she says. "It was just a trial and error thing. I don't believe in 'styles'. It's all changeable. Scroll through the feed of your favourite artist, and you will see their development. If you intentionally and constantly create in the same vein, you stagnate, get bored, and rot."

Her advice to others, then, is this: "Don't find your style. Try things and ideas. That's where the life is."

As for what drives her personally: "I'm easily inspired by anything! A nice book, a good hike, a day outside in nature, photography, skies, colours. But none of it really matters. It's just I can't NOT do it. I feel the urge. I go with it. I make up things. I create. I feel content for a while. Then the urge comes again. I'm basically a junkie for art!"