Evgeni Mishchenko is an artist, chef, musician, tattoo artist ... and that's not all!

Each artist whose paintings are presented on our website is original and unique in its own way. However, some masters are so multifaceted that it seems like real science fiction. It’s impossible not to admire such people, you always want to know more about them ... Their life reminds one of bizarre paintings in which the variegation of colors attracts attention and fascinates at first sight, and you can only guess about the main storyline.

Today we meet Yevgeny Mishchenko, a talented artist from the city of Sumy.

View all paintings by Evgeny Mishchenko

You are lucky to be born in a dynasty of artists. Whose work is closest and why?
- Yes, this is pure luck, and it is not just that. I think this is a sign from above that sets the trajectory for the future generation of our kind. Most impressed with my father’s work, his work is more often associated with space and science fiction.

Your grandfather was a famous artist in Sumy. How often did you talk to him about art? What is most remembered?
- Grandfather was a monumental artist, he was professionally engaged in painting rooms. Such as Sumy bus station, hospitals, schools, museums, and also performed monumental mosaics, minting and modeling. Of the well-known large-scale projects are the reconstruction of the decorative molding of the station in Simferopol in 1999, as well as private mansions. We often talked on the topic of art, since he attracted me to work together. Of course, he painted many landscapes, still lifes, portraits. I remember from childhood the smell of paint in the house and grandfather painting a picture.

What is your favorite of his work and why?
- One of his favorite works is a still life with herring.

Do you believe in signs of fate? Have they been in your life?
- Yes, I believe and often notice them. I call this intuition and always try to listen to it.

Is quarantine an occasion for sadness or creativity? How do you spend forced imprisonment?
- I would say there is both positive and not so positive. For the most part, for me it's like a sublimation of my creativity. While I spend time with my family, I ride a bike out of town, enjoying nature and silence.

As far as we know, you create beauty not only on canvas, but also in cooking and music. It happens that a culinary masterpiece is so beautiful that it’s a pity to “use” it for its intended purpose?
- As the saying goes: “I'm sorry to eat” ... yes, it happens. My main activity is restaurant business. I work as a chef in the author's direction. My dishes involve several types of cuisine, but my favorite pan-asian. For me, cooking delicious and eye-pleasing dishes is actually even more than that. This is art. The dish in itself carries tremendous information for a person - this is beauty, and smell, and taste. But in art - only sight.
Modern artists have been able to combine so far only vision and hearing. Once upon a time, when I first visited the exhibition of modern art in Berlin, it was surprising not tricky, but reasonable innovation: players, headphones next to the picture. Sit down, look at the picture and listen to music.

What musical style do you work in? Where can I listen to your music? Write for yourself or speak to the public? The most interesting music project?
- I have been writing electronic music for quite some time. The main direction is alternative experimental. This genre is very suitable for me, as I like to experiment with different sounds. This genre has no boundaries! I prefer IDM, GLITCH, ambient, minimal techno.
The first project was called "Kurumburumbl", this is the same experiment on himself and the listener. My new pseudonym Maya Rassa was born with my music teacher. I don’t consider myself a DJ, because a DJ and a music maker or a sound producer are different.
Most likely I write it more for myself, and secondarily for friends and acquaintances, sometimes I post it on the network. This is a kind of symbiosis. When I draw - music comes to my head, when I write a track - I see colors and abstraction, I cook food - all at once. They are all interconnected and each has priority.

What is the musical plan for the future?
- I would like to combine music and paintings by making an exhibition, and of course the reception from the chef.

Is it true that you are also a tattoo artist? How did you get the idea to do this kind of body painting?
- Yes, I just graduated from the courses not so long ago. I have long dreamed of becoming a tattoo master, from school. Just from an early age I was in search of myself and a profession, I was very worried about it. As a result, this led to the kitchen, but everything else became my hobby. Now I just realize my childhood dreams. But the best part is when your hobby not only brings joy, but also income.

Do you personally have a tattoo and what do they symbolize?
- Yes, I have a tattoo, one of them is large enough. A fictional character from a favorite science fiction film is depicted.

Assuming reincarnation exists ... Which of the great artists would like to be in a past life?
- I believe in reincarnation or rebirth, and this may not necessarily be a person, because everything has a soul, even plants or a stone. At the moment I really like the living German artist Gerhard Richter.

At the end of our conversation, I would like to ask the sacramental: “Where is the world going and how will it all end?” Do you believe in the victory of good over evil, or is everything in this world relative?
- I am more inclined to pessimistic forecasts. What is happening with our planet is an irreversible process. The development of modern technology and the environment lead us to inevitability ... or at best, we will fly away quickly to populate Mars. No, I do not believe ... so one cannot exist without the other. And it is a balance, like life and death.