Maria Shapranova was born 1999 in the city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine. She holds a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning.
In recent years, Shapranova took up collage as her practice where she constructs new realities using existing elements. Her interest in collage came to her in 2020, during quarantine, where she managed to unleash emotions and thoughts that were born as a result of staying in a confined space due to lockdown.
The inspiration for her first collages was derived from her drawings. She later began to be inspired by and utilise magazines, photographs, objects, etc. Shapranova focuses on “femininity, feminism, women’s freedom and empowerment” in her works. Her most recent works highlight the injustice of the current war in Ukraine, with a focus on the strength and resilience of women throughout these events. She highlights how women hold society together during conflict and war.
She is currently living and working in Ukraine, far from her house, due to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Shapranova is also a resident of the first modern collage workshop CUTOUT COLLAGE STUDIO.