Female image 1979

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this drawing of a female image in 1979, probably with ink on paper. It's all about the lines, how they build up to define her face, her expression, her presence. You can see the artist thinking through the process, not trying to hide a thing. Look at the cheek, that mass of tiny parallel marks, or the way he renders the hair with its flowing rhythm. The marks are very present. They show how Havrylenko is feeling his way around the form, building it up bit by bit, rather than aiming for some kind of perfect likeness. It’s like a map of his looking. And it makes me think about the early drawings of Picasso, that similarly explored form and line. But here, the focus feels more immediate and personal, like a sketch in a notebook. It reminds us that art is just an ongoing conversation. It embraces questions rather than answers, inviting us to bring our own experiences to the table.