Kiss 1993

Dmytro Kavsan made "Kiss" in 1993, probably with oil or acrylic on canvas or board. The colours are both muted and vibrant, a strange combo, like a memory trying to surface. The painting's surface is alive with different textures; there's a real physicality to how Kavsan applied the paint. I see areas where it's thin and almost translucent, letting the layers underneath peek through, then other spots where it's built up, thick and chunky. Look at the woman’s hair, the way he layers the shades of blonde with strokes of red. It's as if he's sculpting with colour. There’s a dreamlike quality to this work, almost like something out of Paula Rego's theatrical tableaus, but Kavsan's mark-making has a raw, immediate feel. It’s like a conversation, where nothing is fixed, and everything is open to interpretation.