In the village 1956

Kateryna Bilokur made ‘In The Village’ with pastels, and what I notice is how the strokes aren’t blended. It’s very immediate, very open. I can see her standing there, pastel in hand, trying to catch the light as it filters through the clouds. A sort of pointillist vision but rougher. It reminds me of Monet, but more homespun. The colour palette is gentle, mostly earthy tones, soft greens, and yellows. You can sense the textures of the thatched roof and the rough earth. There's a kind of tender observation here, a simple, almost naïve approach to the landscape. I love the way she renders the clouds. I've tried to do that myself so many times. Painters are always looking at each other’s work across time. We’re trying to figure out how to make marks that capture what it feels like to be alive. It's all about trying to find new ways to see and feel the world.