Nude 1981

"Nude" is a drawing made with colored felt-tip pens by Hryhorii Havrylenko, likely in the late 1960s or 1980s. Havrylenko lived most of his life in Soviet Ukraine, where artistic expression was often regulated and controlled. Here, a woman is depicted with her arms raised, her gaze direct, and her expression is neutral, perhaps even challenging. The use of color, with the woman’s yellow skin contrasting against the backdrop of green and blue, creates a striking image. Havrylenko's choice to render the nude female form during this period engages with the complex politics of representation. Was he adhering to or subverting traditional artistic norms? Ultimately, this work invites us to consider the artist's perspective on the female form, while acknowledging the historical and cultural context of its creation. It encourages a deeper exploration of identity, representation, and artistic expression within the Soviet Ukrainian context.