Chuvash State Art Museum opened an exhibition titled We by artist Maria Fomiryakova in Cheboksary.

The concept is inpired by "the ancestral world. Our universe. The human world, and the endless cosmos within us. Images of the past, gods, spirits, nature, the beauty of the world surrounding us" as stated by Maria, who researched social archetypes according to their roles. "The foremost purpose of my creaitivity is the study of archaic images of pagan religion of our ancient ancestors", says the artist.

The focal point of the art show is above all, the portraits of pagan deities and ancestors. Chuvash mythology is thought to incorporate more than 200 gods and faithful deities, populating the heaven, the earth, and the underwold, with the supreme god Turӑ, the creator of all. The visitors will see the artist's depictions of Turӑ, his wife Kepe, Angels and Kiremet, the spirits of Good and Evil, Red Ravine, deity Hertsurt dressed in white weaving the yarn of life. There are plenty of others including demons and other evil spirits.

Maria's technique is called Rip-art ans is made bright with tempera colors.

Besides mythological and neopagan canvases the artist presents more conventional oil paint portraits and landscapes. There is also a collection of illustrations to books such as The Sword of Tengri by Vladimir Stepanov.

Maria Fomiryakova is fathered by famous ethnofuturism artist Georgii Fomiryakov and was born in 1983 in the town of Alatyr. She graduated from the Arts and Graphics Department of Chuvash State Teacher's Training University in 2008. Maria has made a career as an interior designer while continuing her work as an artist.