Painting Mysterious World, artist Oleksandr Yatsenko

• Artist: Oleksandr Yatsenko
• Title: "Mysterious World"
• Year: 2024
• Size: 140 × 140 cm
• Materials: oil on canvas
• Original hand-painted artwork

The square painting Mysterious World opens up a space that can be read in different ways: as the surface of an ancient stone, as a cluster of shells and corals, or as a fragment of an unknown planet seen from above. The canvas is divided by winding dark crack-like lines into large irregular plates. Each plate is filled with its own pattern of flowing fibres, rays and veins resembling the veins of a leaf or the pattern of mother-of-pearl. On the left the forms thicken into reds and turquoises, at the upper right they grow lighter, and in the lower right a large red "fan" stands out. Near the bottom there is a barely noticeable small dark dot with light rays spreading from it — a detail you discover only on close inspection.

The work is painted in oil. The texture is dense and raised: the paint is laid down in many short curved strokes that follow the direction of the patterns and create the feeling of an organic, living surface. The dark crack lines are drawn with confidence and give the composition a graphic structure reminiscent of mosaic or stained glass. The combination of large divisions and small, almost jewel-like detail within each form makes the painting rewarding both from a distance and up close.

The palette is built on the contrast of turquoise, emerald and light blue with red, coral and pink; in the upper part they are softened by pearly grey-pink and lilac shades. The colours shimmer like a cut mineral or the inside of a shell. The mood of the painting is contemplative and slightly mysterious: it invites the viewer to study the details and find their own images in them.

Oleksandr Yatsenko is a Ukrainian artist who lives and works in Kyiv. Among the key themes of his work are the interaction of the natural and technogenic worlds, the link between microscopic structures and cosmic scales, and images of ancient civilisations. His signature manner rests on the contrast between dense relief painting and fine detail reminiscent of graphic drawing or openwork ornament.

The 140 × 140 cm format is designed for spacious rooms: the painting looks good above a sofa in the living room, in a hallway, a study or an office lounge area. The combination of turquoise and red-coral allows it to hang on a richly coloured wall as well as on a neutral light or graphite background. The work will be a good gift for a partner or colleague, or for someone fascinated by nature, minerals or space.