Margarita Krylova

Margarita Krylova prefers to see the world as a magical place, and firmly believes that It’s up to us to see the reality that surrounds us with imagination. Her work lives in this grey area between the real and the imagined – in memories, coincidences, associations. Many of her paintings are visual diary entries, a reflection of the people who surround her at home, or those that she met while backpacking abroad. Because she believes that human existence is brimming with mixed emotions, her work tends to be emotionally complex and difficult to label with a single feeling. Margarita sees nature as a means for soul-searching. Her subjects connect with an entity that is infinitely more powerful and eternal than any individual or all of society. When most connected to their surroundings, they camouflage in tree shadows, dissolving away from consciousness and ego. It is humbling, and perhaps calming, to realize that even at best of times, there is only so much in one’s control.

For the past several years, Margarita has collaborated with her father, Viktor Krylov, on a series of 3D works. He carves creatures out of wood, and she paints the worlds around them using a textured technique that combines ink and gouache on paper with encaustic wax. The process provides an amazing way for her to stay connected with one of the most important people in her life, and the resulting 3D paintings carry an unusual folk-surreal feel.

Margarita’s career as an artist began with Artists for Humanity – Boston, where she worked as a painter and collaborated on public art projects. In 2012 she studied Chinese ink painting in Hong Kong through Tufts. In 2013 she received the Dehn Traveling fellowship for a trip to Armenia and Georgia, which resulted in a body of work inspired by the stone structures she photographed while there. In 2014 Margarita graduated from the Tufts and SMFA Combined degree program with degrees in Art and Neurobiology. In 2018 she commenced on a yearlong backpacking trip throughout Europe, Middle East, and Asia, painting commissioned murals along the way. She currently works out of Studio 510 at Western Ave Studios and teaches art at Alma Mater Studio in Lexington and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.

Fountain Street Exhibitions: Annex Exhibit July 2022