Three Female Figures 1910

Aleksandra Ekster made "Three Female Figures" with paint, and in a way that embraces the fluidity of the medium. There's this immediate intensity in her color choices, the bold reds and blues, laid down with visible brushstrokes, that really makes the painting hum. It feels like she’s building the forms right in front of us, not hiding the process at all. I'm drawn to the confident, almost reckless, strokes that define the figures. The paint is applied in layers, thick in some areas, thin in others, which gives it a real sense of depth and texture. Take the figure on the left, for instance. The way the red of her dress bleeds into the blue background, it’s like she's emerging from the very fabric of the painting itself. There is something about Ekster's work that reminds me of the Fauvist movement, particularly Matisse, who shares that similar boldness of color and freedom of form. But Ekster's work has a uniquely Russian sensibility, a kind of spiritual depth. It's a reminder that art isn’t about finding one single answer, but about embracing the multitude of possibilities.