Between Heaven And Hell 2002

Oleh Denysenko made this drawing, Between Heaven and Hell, with ink, and the obsessive detail really grabs you. It’s like he’s lost in the process, building up this intricate world one tiny mark at a time. The whole thing is just teeming with texture. Look at the way he renders the robes of this figure, it's incredible. The lines are so dense. There’s almost no untouched space on the paper, and that’s where the emotional punch comes from for me. You can sense his labor, his focus, maybe even a little bit of mania? There's so much detail to absorb. Now, zero in on the face of this figure. It's kind of stern, but there’s also a hint of sadness there, like he’s seen some things. And above him we see "Hommage a H. Bosch", and in the figure the name "Iheronimus Bols". Denysenko is in conversation with art history here, referencing Hieronymus Bosch, you can see it right there in the details, the weird creatures and the feeling of impending doom. It makes you think about how artists keep talking to each other across time. Denysenko creates a space where things aren’t so clear cut, and meaning is always shifting.