On Christmas Tree 2006

Radi Nedelchev made this scene, "On Christmas Tree", with what looks like watercolour and ink, and a whole lot of storytelling. Look at how the snow isn't just white – it's got blues and purples, like he’s grabbing the light and bending it to his will. The texture is flat, economical almost. I’m drawn to the figures in the foreground; they’re so present in their actions, these tiny, expressive strokes. There's one figure hauling a pig, and another brandishing a knife, which gives you the sense of the day’s labor. The whole piece is like a memory, a bit raw and unfiltered, but rendered in such a way that you understand the artist cares deeply about what he's recording. It reminds me a little of Pieter Bruegel, but with even more heart. It’s a slice of life, where the ambiguity makes it more alive.