About the Artist
Hey! I’m Masha. I am the person behind most of the Couloir designs. I studied art at the National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture in Kyiv, Ukraine where I received my Masters's degree. The first 10 years of my art career were focused on contemporary art. I chose the realistic painting style as I believed that it was the best tool to communicate my ideas and utilize the skills acquired at the art school. After participating in multiple art shows and contemporary art auctions I moved to the US in 2013.
Growing up Formula 1 and automotive sports were a big part of our culture and everybody wanted to play as Michael Schumacher and ‘drive’ a Ferrari on a play station. During the first couple of months in Arizona, I got to exhibit my new racing-themed paintings at the Barrett Jackson show, and since than historic racing became a major line in my art. I was fascinated with portraits and spent a lot of time traveling and getting to know some of the most legendary racers like Sir Stirling Moss and Mario Andretti.
I am passionate about my home country Ukraine and have been trying to use every chance to educate about the rich history, willpower, and beauty of this country. I hosted an art show Art Under Fire in 2016 in NYC where we had a chance to collaborate with the active local Ukrainian community.
In 2019 I founded Couloir [ART.] as I believed that it was the most natural way to combine art and design with tactile reusable items and sustainable merchandise. Since then we worked with a lot of great companies and created unique designs that highlighted their concepts and personalities. We work hard and when we don’t we go hiking or camping. We went on one of the most picturesque road trips in 2020 as we wanted to promote a healthy impact of the outdoors and mountains amid the worldwide home enclosure. Nature provides an incredible immunity booster. We gathered inspiration away from the crowds in the mountains of Bend Oregon, forests of Washington, rivers of Idaho, valleys of Montana and Wyoming, and flats of Utah. The USA is a gorgeous country and so rich with nature's variety.
We are working towards implementing sustainable production and giving back to nature by both donating to the conservancies and educating about “leave no trace” practices. Through my designs, I am hoping to highlight the vividness of each region I am working with. Art is my way to reflect on the world the way I see it (beautiful and unique) while helping to communicate my customer's ideas and messages. I am stoked to see all the great reviews and know that at the same time people chose to get a reusable bottle instead of multiple single-use ones they would’ve used instead.