From Perm to the NHL: Darina Yeryomina’s Art Behind the Goalie Mask
An NHL goalie mask can tell a story before its owner makes a single save. Behind the team colors, portraits, and tiny personal symbols is an artist translating someone’s identity into a design. For some NHL goaltenders, that work takes place thousands of miles away, in Darina Yeryomina’s studio in Perm, Russia.
In her interview with Daria Mironova on Hockey on the Beach, Yeryomina explains how her artwork reached professional hockey and why her journey involved much more than learning to paint.
Earning Trust, One Mask at a Time
Yeryomina’s collaboration began with trial projects. Before committing to regular work, her clients needed to establish that the artist behind the photographs could deliver the same quality on an actual mask.
That trust led to demanding commissions, including a mask for Jacob Markstrom. According to Yeryomina, the design had been approved, but the goalie had not seen it: the mask was intended as a gift. When it arrived, he explained that he already had a similar design and wanted something different.
The project required repainting. For Yeryomina, it illustrated a practical part of the profession: even painstaking work can need another approach.
Her mask for Justus Annunen offered a different challenge. Alongside a Finnish flag and detailed animal imagery were tiny musical notes. Their precise meaning remained an open question during the interview, but their execution required the same care as the larger design.
Young Goalies Keep Their Heroes Close
Some of Yeryomina’s most memorable projects come from children.
Young goalies request portraits of their hockey idols, including Andrei Vasilevskiy. When they change teams, they may ask her to repaint the background and replace the logo while keeping those portraits.
The team changes; the inspiration stays.
She also recalls painting a princess-themed mask for a young girl. Receiving a photograph of its small owner wearing the finished mask became one of the rewards of the job.
Finding the Courage to Change Direction
Yeryomina drew throughout childhood, but her career initially followed another path. After two higher education degrees and three years of postgraduate study, she realized she wanted to return to art.
A client supplied an airbrush and compressor as payment for a commission. Mastering the equipment proved difficult, and she initially put it aside. Eventually, she committed to training, traveling to St. Petersburg to study.
She opened her own courses in 2020. Today, teaching sits alongside her commissioned work, while she continues exploring sculpture and other artistic techniques. Her larger ambition is to create a multidisciplinary workshop in Perm.
Explore Her Work and School
See examples of Yeryomina’s artwork on Instagram. For course information and enrollment options, visit Darina Yeryomina’s Airbrush School, which offers programs for beginners and experienced artists.
Listen to Darina’s full conversation with Daria Mironova on Hockey on the Beach.
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