Monument Near the Arch of Friendship of Peoples, From the Series 'Garden of My Dream' 2021

Kateryna Lysovenko made this from the series ‘Garden of My Dream’ with what looks like ink on paper – such a simple medium! I’m picturing her, maybe in her studio, or even outside, quickly laying down these lines, one after the other. The naked figure reclines in front of what looks like a monument of some kind, or maybe it is a stage set. I like how direct and unpretentious Lysovenko's mark-making is. That splodge of ink that stands in for hair! It’s really great. There is something very vulnerable but confident about the rawness and simplicity of the strokes. You can feel Lysovenko really going for it and just using the materials as quickly and spontaneously as possible to capture what is in her head. I’ve definitely felt that compulsion myself many times! It’s like she’s showing us that painting is really a form of thinking out loud.