Exuberant 1947

Kateryna Bilokur made this painting, ‘Exuberant,’ with what looks like incredible patience and a very small brush, building up layer upon layer of tiny marks and a pretty limited but intense colour palette. The overwhelming yellow, like golden sunlight, acts as a kind of screen or filter through which we view the flowers, all jostling for attention. There’s a real tension between representation and abstraction here. Look closely at the way she renders each petal with such precision, yet the overall effect is almost psychedelic. Each flower seems to vibrate with energy. It’s as if she’s trying to capture not just what they look like, but how they feel. I can’t help but think of Hilma af Klint, who also explored the hidden energies of nature, although in a very different way. Both artists remind us that art is about seeing beyond the surface of things.