Critical Distance DIRECTORY Maryna Salagub

Maryna Salagub is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and community arts facilitator based in Oakville whose practice centers on storytelling, community connection, and accessible arts experiences. Working primarily in watercolour and mixed media, she explores themes of care, memory, ecology, motherhood, and everyday wonder through whimsical yet thoughtful visual narratives. 

Her work often bridges fine art and participatory engagement, creating opportunities for people of different ages and backgrounds to connect through creativity. Alongside exhibitions and independent studio practice, she facilitates community workshops that encourage collaborative learning, self-expression, and cultural exchange. She is particularly interested in how art can create spaces for dialogue, empathy, and collective reflection.

A recurring focus within her practice is the relationship between humans and the natural world, including projects connected to environmental preservation and vulnerable species. She is also deeply inspired by the role of caregiving and motherhood within creative life, exploring how artistic practices can coexist with family, community involvement, and social connection.

In addition to her personal artistic practice, she works across illustration, arts education, and community-based programming, often developing projects that combine visual storytelling with public participation. Through exhibitions, workshops, publications, and collaborative initiatives, she aims to make art approachable and meaningful while encouraging curiosity, imagination, and connection between people and place.