Self-portrait with a bouquet of flowers 1933

Oleksa Novakivskyi painted this self-portrait with a bouquet using expressive brushstrokes and a warm, earthy palette. I imagine him standing before the canvas, a bouquet of flowers in one hand, brush in the other. The paint looks thick, applied with visible energy. Novakivskyi captures not just his likeness but also his inner state—the way the colors blend and swirl suggests a mind full of thoughts and feelings, as the soft yellows and oranges peek out of the greys. The brushstrokes around his beard, a kind of flurry of marks, communicate a sense of movement, as if trying to grasp a fleeting moment. Novakivskyi's work reminds me of other painters, each using their own visual language to explore the world around them and their place within it. As painters, we’re all in conversation, influenced by those who came before and hoping to inspire those who come after. Painting is this embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.