Games with characters 1988

Vasiliy Ryabchenko made this oil on canvas painting, called "Games with characters," and what strikes me is its earthy palette, like it’s been pulled straight from the ground. Ryabchenko isn't afraid to let the process show, you can see the strokes. The figures are rendered with a kind of rough tenderness, their bodies almost architectural in their simplicity. The paint is applied in layers, creating a tactile surface. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the figures, it is as if they are emerging from the shadows. There is a little bird perched on the head of the woman and there’s another being held by the man. What are they playing at? Ryabchenko's work shares a certain kinship with that of Paula Rego, both artists diving into the complexities of human relationships with a raw, unflinching eye. Art isn't about answers, but about asking the questions that haunt us most.