Painting Siesta, artist Oleksandr Yatsenko

• Artist: Oleksandr Yatsenko
• Title: "Siesta"
• Year: 2017
• Size: 200 × 70 cm
• Materials: oil on canvas
• Original hand-painted artwork

"Siesta" is an elongated horizontal panorama of a city built on the principle of mosaic. Along the upper edge, against a dark, almost black sky, rise the silhouettes of houses and towers of different heights, their stepped roofs forming an uneven skyline. A smooth wavy ribbon of turquoise and sky blue runs across the entire width of the canvas: it rises towards the rooftops and dips down again, and in its soft curves one can make out the outline of a reclining, resting figure. Beneath it, pink and lilac hills swell, while on the right the blue shape folds into a triangle resembling a bowed head. The lower edge is occupied by rows of arched cells that recall roof tiles or the arcades of old streets. The city and the figure seem to merge into one — the city is sinking into an afternoon sleep.

The work is painted in oil on canvas, and its entire surface is divided into many separate cells — trapezoidal, rectangular and rounded. Each cell is painted individually with a slight gradation of tone inside, and thin light contours are left between them, like the joints between pieces of smalt. As a result, the painting resembles stained glass or a mosaic panel, although it is done with a brush. Horizontal rows of small orange, red and yellow squares running across the facades read as lit windows and set the rhythm of the whole composition. The artist's signature "Яценко" is in the lower right corner. From a distance the cells merge into solid shapes of buildings and hills, while up close the painting breaks down into hundreds of small coloured fragments, each worth examining on its own.

The palette combines lilac, mauve, pink and purple with turquoise, azure and mint. The dark sky heightens the brightness of the coloured cells, and the city seems lit from within. Warm orange accents enliven the generally cool colour scheme. The mood of the painting is calm, dreamy and slightly fairy-tale-like: it is a city that has fallen still and is resting, and the only movement comes from the smooth wave passing through it. Blue and pink zones alternate along the entire length of the canvas, so the eye glides unhurriedly from left to right, as if strolling through sleepy streets.

Oleksandr Yatsenko is a contemporary Ukrainian painter, born in 1980 in Cherkasy, who lives and works in Kyiv. He works in symbolism, abstract and decorative painting, combining traditional oil painting with elements of mosaic, graphic art and ornament. In his works natural and urban forms turn into complex decorative structures in which recognisable images sit side by side with symbolic ones.

The panoramic 200 × 70 cm format is ideal for a long wall: above a sofa in the living room, above the headboard in a bedroom, in a hallway or in an office reception area. The lilac-and-turquoise palette is well supported by textiles in the same tones — teal velvet furniture or lavender cushions — and also looks fresh on light or lilac walls. The work will make a lovely gift for a woman who loves cities and travel, or for a partner who appreciates decorative painting with character.