Self Portrait 

This is Volodymyr Bondarenko’s Self-Portrait, date unknown, rendered in what appears to be ink on paper. The portrait presents the artist’s face in a study of monochrome washes, with a limited tonal range that favors light grays against stark blacks. The composition is asymmetrically balanced, with more detail focused on the right side of the face, drawing our eye there. The stark contrasts in shading are not merely representational, they create a dynamic interplay between light and shadow that conveys emotional depth. The rapid, fluid brushstrokes define the form and give a sense of immediacy. The washes are almost expressionistic and challenge conventional notions of portraiture, pushing beyond mere depiction to explore a more abstract interpretation of self. The artist uses the medium’s fluidity to mirror the instability of identity itself, a concept explored in post-structuralist thought. This work reflects on how we perceive and construct our own image.