From pizza boxes to oversized handbags: The playful world of Maya Golyshkina

Maya Golyshkina is a self-taught artist whose greatest inspiration comes from what's around her. More specifically, the household objects – bags, cardboard boxes, anything really – that she can snip up, rip up, tape up and turn into a fantastical creation. In her hands, the ordinary becomes theatrical. "I mostly use everything I see around me, whether it's from my house or outside," she says. "Anything I come across can inspire me, and I always come up with something and create magic out of it."

Born in Moscow, Maya knew she was creative from a young age. She went to art school for kids around the age of 12, after which she worked as a painter, photographer and sculptor – "always looking for something new," she says. When lockdown happened, and she found herself stuck at home, she sought a new way to express herself and to channel her artistry. It all kicked off at 18, before she "blew up" online a year later. Aged 21, she left her homeland for London and began her creative career. Since then, her work has evolved into a playful, joyfully performative form of self-portraiture.

Child's face poking through a large pink cardboard octopus wearing a Santa hat, against a blue seaside-themed painted backdrop

Young child sitting inside a cardboard box hot air balloon decorated with colourful patterned fabric in reds, blues and yellows

Artist Maya Golyshkina sits inside a large sculptural creation made from white cardboard, yellow ribbon and dark spheres, with a red and white checkered base and black strap extending above

Young woman in patterned outfit kneeling in a pastel pink and blue striped cardboard room with a framed artwork and yellow sign reading "MAYA

Across her portfolio, there is a medley of media, from digital print-outs of her face to window displays and large-scale cardboard sculptures that she can sit in. A standout piece is a collaboration she did with Ed Curtis, a London-based artist and designer known for hand-painted 'wearable art', that often features bold smiley faces and lavish colour palettes. As a long admirer of his work, Maya was excited by this opportunity and dove right into the meeting to develop the concept.

The result is a hot-air-balloon-shaped structure made of cardboard, with fabrics gushing over the floor and covering where the balloon and basket would be. The prints are in signature Ed Curtis style, that is wacky, spirally and mismatched in the best possible way. "I really enjoyed working on it, and I think it turned out to be very whimsical, extraordinary and funny," she says. "I just felt like his world would be better displayed in a circus atmosphere, and we got a perfect match here." It's hard not to see the similarities between them – both create these magnificent worlds with their hands.

Maya Golyshkina's theatrical self-portrait with a yellow paper dress and silver foil sleeves, held up by hands against a light blue background surrounded by cotton stems and black paper shapes

Woman lying on a blue and white checkered fabric holding an oversized orange toy gun with smoke effects, part of Maya Golyshkina's theatrical self-portrait series

Young person with yellow hair wearing a red coat sits within a large sculptural frame made from white textured materials and blue fabric, holding a wooden stick

Open cardboard pizza box containing a red bell pepper pizza with mozzarella and basil, surrounded by French fries on a cream-coloured fabric

Another project is a collaboration with Luncheon magazine for its no. 16 issue. Centred on food, the magazine asked Maya to create her own menu. "I didn't hesitate and immediately thought about presenting myself as different products and types of food," she says. "I recreated the idea in my mind and then brought it to life using my bedroom and the mattress, with the help of a few assistants."

Shot in an old Dalston flat she used to live in a few years ago, the series sees Maya's head poking out of a pizza box, the pizza itself painted, but the basil and chips looking very much real. There's a spaghetti bolognese sculpture so large she can sit in the pan while it sizzles and oozes on the floor; a fish head cut out of paper, paired with salad leaves, tomatoes and lemon; a pastel-tinted cupcake made of pleated folds, Maya's head as the cherry; and a juicy-looking cocktail with a cut out section in the middle, perfect for Maya to take a sip from. Everything's made of paper.

Woman reclines in an oversized fabric sculpture made from grey and rust-coloured textiles, wearing purple platform shoes

Maya Golyshkina holds a large spiral lollipop sculpture made from pink and red fabric, with her face visible through the centre and green leaf details at the base

She's also worked with Marc Jacobs on an Instagram project, developing a series of extra-large bags paired with their matching real-life counterparts. The works are decorated by hand, where you can see each scribble and scissor cut – adding to the joyous texture of her work. Next up, she has plans to launch her first-ever book, plus a few more projects for magazines, brands and galleries.

These creations are a lesson in being yourself and letting your artistic voice shine through. And when asked how she wants her audience to react, she says: "Just don't be scared to be yourself."