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Partnership will bring internationally acclaimed artist to Buffalo

Buffalo, New York – August 04, 2021 – Today the Albright-Knox and D’Youville announced that internationally acclaimed artist Maya Hayuk (Ukrainian-American, born 1969) will paint an enormous mural on D’Youville’s new Health Professions HUB.

The installation will begin August 4 and take approximately one week to complete, depending on weather. Hayuk’s elaborate abstract work is inspired by popular culture as well as Ukrainian folk art. Her mural will be one of Buffalo’s largest, covering an area 45 feet high and 95 feet wide and using roughly 95 gallons of paint and primer. Plans are currently underway for an elaborate unveiling when the mural is complete.

For D’Youville, the mural is made possible through a generous donation from former Trustee (served from 1992 – 2001) Philip A. Perna and his sisters Linda Perna Ball and Mary Jo Perna, in honor of their late mother Phyllis Esposito Perna, who graduated from D’Youville in 1942 with a BA in Sociology.

“When we first met about the HUB being a part of the museum’s Public Art Initiative in Buffalo, we were both humbled and elated about the plan,” said Lorrie Clemo, President of D’Youville. “We have always placed a focus on being an active part of the community, beyond being simply an educational institution. Maya’s work on the HUB will not only be a great addition to the campus environment but will reflect the diverse cultural heritage that D’Youville and our city embraces and showcases. We are proud to become of a part of that legacy.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing yet another world-renowned artist to Buffalo to create a public artwork for all to enjoy,” said Aaron Ott, Curator of Public Art at the Albright-Knox. “Our partners at D’Youville have been wonderful to work with, and we are very excited to complete this work in time for their students to return in the fall.”

Hayuk’s signature style is composed of intricate, symmetrical combinations of color crisscrossing and overlapping diagonally to create lush and vibrant works. Her brush strokes, vibrant drippings, and dynamic movements express a bursting vitality that is instantly recognizable.

Hayuk’s massively scaled murals recall views of outer space, traditional Ukrainian crafts, airbrushed manicures, and mandalas. She weaves visual information from her immediate surroundings into her work, creating an engaging mix that references popular culture and advanced painting practices. She has painted her iconic outdoor murals all over the world and maintains a studio in Brooklyn, New York.

Hayuk earned a BFA in Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and has studied at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Canada; the Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Odessa, Ukraine; and at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME.


Hayuk has curated numerous exhibitions, is a member of the Barnstormers collective and the Cinder Arts Collective, and frequently collaborates with other artists and musicians. She has created album covers, videos, stage sets, photographs, and posters for Rye Rye/M.I.A., Akron/Family, TV on the Radio, The Flaming Lips, Devendra Banhart, Seun Kuti, Prefuse 73, Awesome Color, Oakley Hall, Home, Animal Collective, Dan Deacon, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and The Beastie Boys, among others.

D’Youville is a nationally ranked private university headquartered in Buffalo, New York, providing in-seat and online academic programs around the world. Founded in 1908, D’Youville offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees focused on healthcare, liberal arts, and business. D’Youville’s small class sizes, experiential education, and interprofessional learning environments prepare students for success. For more information, visit dyc.edu.

The Albright-Knox’s Public Art Initiative is an innovative partnership between the museum and the County of Erie established in 2013 to enhance our shared sense of place and cultural identity in the urban and suburban landscapes of Western New York. The City of Buffalo joined the partnership in 2014. The goal of the initiative is to create spaces of dialogue where diverse communities have the ability to socially engage with, actively respond to, and cooperatively produce great public art that is capable of empowering individuals, creating stronger neighborhoods, and establishing Western New York as a critical cultural center.