Sunflower. Helios flower. 2020

Yulia Mamontova’s Sunflower painting is made from oil on canvas, though when exactly, I couldn’t say. Mamontova is interested in the process, you can tell that from the surface. The petals are built up using a palette knife in these confident strokes, creating a tangible texture. I can almost feel the weight of the paint and the pressure of the artist's hand. The stems are created in a very different style, more expressionistic. Look at the way the texture is achieved in the petals and compare this to the way the stems have been delineated with a thin black line. What does this contrast tell us about the nature of growth and decay? A single leaf sits on the surface like a fallen tear, suggesting the end of the growth cycle, and yet the blooms sing with color. Think of Van Gogh's Sunflowers - this painting has that same restless, searching quality.