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Enjoy viewing the paintings of Mariia Bashtova, one of the most impressive artists to be added to the Saper Galleries collection in quite a while.
Click here where she describes her work -- and below you can see her phenomenal paintings.
We are so appreciative of this opportunity to showcase the paintings of Mariia Bashtova for you and the world.
~ Roy Saper, East Lansing, Michigan
 Carpe Diem Oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas 36 x 48" (91 x 122 cm) $7,000 |
Exhibition and Recognition: Selected for the
2026 Michigan Fine Arts Competition at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Center, juried by Marshall N. Price, PhD.
The painting was exhibited July - August 2026 and
received special recognition during the exhibition. Artist Statement
The painting Carpe Diem reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the passage of time. The red-haired woman represents humanity, surrounded by butterflies that symbolize the often undervalued moments and experiences of human existence, those we tend to overlook but that ultimately give life its meaning. Behind her back, she holds a white lily, fully visible to the viewer. The flower suggests something quieter and more inevitable beneath the surface of life. Traditionally associated with purity and transience, the white lily becomes a reminder of the beauty of things that cannot last. The note bearing the words Carpe Diem, meaning “seize the day,” serves as a quiet reminder to the viewer. At the same time, the lily becomes a symbolic offering from humanity, a gesture of acceptance and a reminder to recognize the value of what is here only briefly. The work is intended as a contemplative presence, an invitation to pause, observe, become more aware of the moments that so easily pass unappreciated, and rediscover a deeper love for life. |
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Artist Statement The artwork, The Equilibrist, is a surreal and poetic exploration of inner balance, self-awareness, and the psychological tension between control and release. The central figure occupies an intentionally rigid geometric space, suggesting that balance is not simply a physical condition, but an ongoing negotiation between structure, uncertainty, identity, and perception. The stylized background creates a constrained psychological space around the figure, while the long braid extending downward forms a quiet connection between the body, gravity, and the surrounding environment. The contrast between the rigid geometry and the apparent weightlessness of the figure suggests the tension between the controlled, conscious mind and the more fluid and uncertain forces of the subconscious. |
 The Equilibrist Oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas 36 x 36" (91 x 91 cm) $3,000 |
 Where Gravity Rests Oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas 36 x 48" (91 x 122 cm) $6,000 |
Artist Statement This work, Where Gravity Rests, is rooted in a deep emotional connection to my homeland, Ukraine. The young woman appears peacefully withdrawn into sleep, while the concentric geometry surrounding her draws the viewer inward and creates a subtle tension between her stillness and the instability of the space around her. The blue of her clothing recalls both the Ukrainian sky and the blue of the national flag, while the sunflowers, a symbol closely associated with Ukraine, connect the figure to the identity and spirit of the country. Her sleep becomes more than a moment of rest. It represents an inner space where memory, belonging, and hope remain protected despite the uncertainty of the world outside. At its core, the painting expresses a simple and deeply personal thought: I dream of my country, and in my dreams I speak the language of my deepest feelings. |
| This artwork was selected for the
2026 Michigan Fine Arts Competition at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Center, juried by Marshall N. Price, PhD,
Chief Curator at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke
University. The painting was exhibited at the Birmingham
Bloomfield Art Center in July - August 2026. Artist Statement
The Equilibrist’s Dream explores the human effort to remain centered in a world that offers no fixed sense of direction. Balance is treated not as a physical skill, but as an inner discipline, a continuous negotiation between uncertainty and self-control. For me, this idea is inseparable from my connection to Ukraine and from the instability and uncertainty that have become part of its present reality. The work reflects the experience of trying to preserve a sense of identity, belonging, and inner stability while the world I remain deeply connected to is changing in ways I cannot control. The equilibrist becomes a symbol of resilience, not through escaping uncertainty, but through learning to remain centered within it. At its core, the painting reflects my emotional connection to Ukraine and the effort to remain grounded while carrying concern, memory, hope, and an enduring sense of belonging to a place that remains deeply present within me. |
 The Equilibrist's Dream Oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas 36 x 48" (91 x 122 cm) $6,000 |
 Radiance of a Morning Rose Oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas 30 x 30" (76 x 76 cm) $1,200 |
Artist Statement
This painting explores the quiet transformation of a familiar subject through light and color. The rose becomes more than a botanical study, expressing delicacy, presence, and the fleeting beauty of a moment illuminated before it changes. Subtle shifts of pink, lavender, ivory, and cool blue create the impression of light emerging from within the petals. Against the dark background, the flower acquires an almost sculptural presence, emphasizing both its strength and its fragility. |
| Mariia Bashtova is a
Michigan-based oil painter and surrealist artist
originally from Ukraine, known for her figurative and
floral works. Background &
Career
• Origin & Education: Born in 1978 in the south of Ukraine (Nikolaev), she studied at a children's school of painting, an art school, and the Institute of Culture in Ukraine. • Relocation: Moved to Michigan in the summer of 2014 after marrying her husband, and currently lives in Okemos. • Artistic Style: Creates original hand-painted oil canvases blending classical Old Master techniques with contemporary surrealism, portraits, and floral compositions. Recent
Exhibitions & Awards
• ArtPrize 2026: Exhibiting the piece "Echo of a Single Mind" at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. • IQHub Art Explosion 6.0 (2026): Won 1st Place in the Adult Painting Category for her floral oil painting "A Midnight Garden". • Michigan Fine Arts Competition (2025): Selected for the exhibition at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. • Frederik Meijer Gardens (2025): Recognized as a competition finalist. |
| My name is
Mariia Bashtova. I was born in 1978 in the
south region of Ukraine (as part of the former
USSR). I grew up, studied and worked in the city
of Nikolaev, an hour driving from the black sea.
In 2012 I met my future husband and after our marriage,
in the summer of 2014, I relocated to Michigan. Although my paintings speak for themselves, I would like to take a few minutes to explain how they came to be. The process of visual communication seems evident: you see what you see - but no two people interpret the same thing in the same way. It is a game of external stimuli and internal processing, drawing on our experiences and personal perception. The birth of a painting is usually not an easy one - it is the result of a large amount of work. Turning a feeling, a wish or a need into an ordered assemble of colors and shapes which conveys a message is a huge challenge, which can sometimes be pleasurable and flowing, and sometimes extremely frustrating. But there is great satisfaction in meeting the challenge, and the search is never-ending. What is important to me is to work with both colors and volume in order to give shape to a previously empty void or mute canvas. To create something which will continuously draw the eye, interest the observer. A work which though it may represent a known concept or a simple form will hold interest even in the parts of the sum and not only in the sum of the parts. Something to which the eye can be drawn again and again, and which may reveal new aspects each time. My connection with nature in all its forms has always been part of me, just as I am part of it. The shadows cast by the clouds, the movement of trees, tools and objects of ordinary day life, changes and metamorphosis, find a place in my work. I like to abuse of colors as celebration of life, dense expression of passion, love and happiness. In my work, of crucial importance, after having tested decisions and approaches, is the energy which flows and is expressed, despite its birth within a static form. After all the hard work, and even though this is something I have gone through many times, I am always filled with wonder and surprise when the finished painting presents itself to me. I take time to study and enjoy it, and then my thoughts turn to the next one. Painting is the medium I have chosen to conduct a dialogue with myself, and to externalize my experiences and feelings. The following Van Gogh quote well summaries my source of inspiration: "I dream of painting and then I paint my dream". |
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