Mama 1991

Oleg Holosiy painted this portrait, Mama, with oils, and he really went to town with the process, letting it all hang out. You can see how he’s building up the image, stroke by stroke, layer by layer. Up close, the surface has this cool, tactile quality. The paint isn't trying to hide, it’s right there, thick in some spots, thin in others, like he was wrestling with it to get this image out. Look at how the light catches her face, especially around the eyes and nose. It's not blended perfectly; you can see each dab of paint doing its job. The whole thing feels like a memory, a bit faded but super intense. It reminds me a little of Lucian Freud’s portraits, that same directness, the way he really looks at people. Painting, like memory, is never exact. It’s more about feeling, a conversation, and an exchange of ideas across time. It's ambiguous, yes, but that's where the magic is.