A Cupboard with Surprise 2004

Aleksandr Borodin created "A Cupboard with Surprise," a large work measuring 220 by 110 centimetres. Its surface teases the eye with a meticulous arrangement of small, square panels. The work balances delicate draftsmanship with an ambitious physical structure. Notice the way Borodin has structured the composition. It’s almost like a three-dimensional puzzle, which extends beyond the canvas. The interplay of light and shadow gives the piece a dynamic quality. The fragmented images of body parts—eyes, ears, and mouths—are rendered in muted tones, and distributed across the grid. This invites us to consider themes of perception and identity. Borodin disrupts conventional modes of representation. He challenges the viewer to piece together a coherent whole from disparate elements. The "surprise" in the title hints at the unexpected connections and meanings that emerge from this process of active engagement. The grid format itself might echo the structuralist idea that underlying patterns shape our understanding of the world.