Painting Renewal, artist Oleksandr Yatsenko

• Artist: Oleksandr Yatsenko
• Title: "Renewal"
• Year: 2017
• Size: 270 × 150 cm
• Materials: oil on canvas; triptych
• Original hand-painted artwork

Renewal is a triptych: its three parts come together into a single horizontal composition with an overall size of 270 × 150 cm. A wide blue stripe runs through the centre like a river or a stream of light: it stretches from the top edge to the bottom, bending and widening as it descends. On either side, the space is filled with a dense multicoloured grid of small diamonds and cells. Over this pattern run dark blue lines connecting light circles of various sizes, which recall cells, planets or the nodes of a complex system. The central stream and the circles on the sides bind the three parts into one whole image.

The triptych is painted in oil on canvas. The side areas are built from many small coloured fragments, so the surface resembles mosaic or an intricately woven fabric, while the central stream is rendered with lengthwise strokes and white-blue highlights that convey the movement of water. Crisp lines and circles bring a graphic, almost diagrammatic element to the composition. This mix of ornamental detail and painterly movement reflects the artist's signature manner well.

The colour scheme is built on blue, light blue and violet with touches of red, pink and crimson. The cool central stream contrasts with the warm shimmering mosaic at the sides, and the painting seems to pulse. The mood of the work matches its title: it is an image of movement and the flow of life that constantly renews the world around us.

Oleksandr Yatsenko is a contemporary Ukrainian artist working in symbolism, abstract and decorative painting. He graduated from the painting faculty of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv, and in 2003–2007 he studied in the historical workshop of Professor F. M. Humeniuk. At the core of his work is the exploration of the interconnections between people, nature and the Universe.

With an overall size of 270 × 150 cm, the triptych is a work for large spaces: a long wall in a living room, a hallway, a meeting room or an open-plan office. The three-part format is convenient when a wide wall above a sofa or along a corridor needs to be filled. The blue-violet palette goes well with cool grey, light blue and graphite walls, as well as with interiors that use coloured lighting. The work will be an expressive gift for a partner or colleague and a striking feature of a modern office.