Original - oil on canvas 30.48 x 40.64 cm | 12 x 16 in
Limited Edition prints available upon demand
The anticipation of the war that was so obvious this year that it made me paint this piece in January 2022.
In roman mythology and custom Medusa is a sign of protection. She is a beautiful woman who was turned into a monster by taking upon herself suffering for the sins of the others. Her image was displayed as a sign of protection on shields of soldiers, walls and doors of the houses. It wasn’t the first time I painted my self portrait using Medusa as transformational image, but this time the anxiety and anticipation of war made me make this work as a statement: I am against war. The war is Ugly. It destroys beauty. It destroys the world. I am against nuclear threats and destruction of Humanity.
At that time, I didn’t know how true and how near the possibility of war in my Motherland but I kept painting as if I’ve already seen the horrors of Butcha and Hostomel and destruction of Mariupol and Kharkiv. All because I felt something ugly is coming. This Ugly war.
I hope Ukraine will defeat this darkness and world will never have to deal with nuclear threats and human genocide. For now this portrait is my spiritual shield.