Untitled 

This untitled drawing was made by Zdzislaw Beksinski, a Polish artist who lived through the trauma of World War II and Soviet occupation. Beksinski’s dystopian surrealism seems to imagine bodies caught in a state of decay, their faces masked and distorted. He once said that his goal was to paint as if he were photographing dreams. Here, we see two figures in a stark, claustrophobic space. One stands, seemingly defiant, with a knife in hand. The other kneels on a bench, bound and seemingly weeping. The stark contrast between the figures—one empowered and one subdued—hints at themes of dominance and vulnerability. Beksinski, who refused to interpret his work, leaves us to confront the raw emotions of fear, control, and despair. Beksinski’s work invites us to consider the human condition stripped bare, as the artist encourages us to reflect on the darker aspects of existence. It is through this lens that the viewer might understand the lasting impact of historical trauma and the psychological weight of the world on the individual.