Samovar 2000

Viktor Lyapkalo made this painting, Samovar, with oil paints, and the first thing I notice is the swirling brushstrokes, a dance of color that somehow captures a chaotic kind of intimacy. It’s like Lyapkalo isn't just showing us a scene, he's letting us feel the energy in the room, the weight of bodies, the awkwardness of lust. The texture is luscious – thick daubs of paint create a surface you just want to run your fingers over, even though you know better! Look at the way he renders the flesh, those pearlescent highlights that catch the light, those pools of shadow that suggest depth and volume, but also a kind of vulnerability. There's a passage near the woman's back, a kind of lilac, it's so tender. It feels like the moment when you understand how love and beauty are always intertwined. Lyapkalo reminds me of Paula Rego in the way both artists are invested in exploring human relationships through the lens of figuration. But like all good art, it's the feeling, the in-between spaces, that stick with you long after you've moved on.