Karelia. Old House 1983

Petros Malayan made this painting of an old house in Karelia using what looks like watercolour or gouache. The way Malayan handles the paint is so interesting to me, there’s a real fluidity and looseness that captures a moment. Look at how the light is rendered on the wooden walls of the house, it’s all about soft edges, muted tones, like a memory fading into the night. The texture is smooth, but you can still see the grain of the paper coming through, which adds to that sense of transparency. And those strokes in the sky, they give the painting such a moody, atmospheric feel. Malayan’s work reminds me a little of Andrew Wyeth, in the sense of capturing everyday scenes with a deep sense of empathy. Both artists invite us to slow down, observe the quiet beauty in the mundane, and appreciate the stories that are held within these humble settings. And as always with art, it’s about the conversation, right?