Late winter on the Kupa river (sunken willow and boats) 2021

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting, ‘Late winter on the Kupa river (sunken willow and boats)’ using expressive brushstrokes of black ink, punctuated by soft washes of grey and blush pink. It’s like watching something come into being—a landscape, perhaps, or maybe just a feeling. I can imagine Krupa standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture something fleeting, like the last gasp of winter before spring bursts through. The stark black lines create a sense of depth, while the red flicks hint at warmth trying to break through the ice. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, actually. The way he makes marks that are both chaotic and deliberate. That central tree form, almost skeletal, is a powerful gesture, a way of communicating resilience and strength. I wonder if Krupa was thinking about the cycles of nature, the way things die and are reborn. It's as if he's inviting us to contemplate our own place within this constant flux. Anyway, it’s a reminder that painting is an ongoing conversation, each artist responding to what came before and imagining what might come next.