Ship of fools,
2025
Vladimir Kolosov
Painting : acrylic
61 x 76.2 x 2 cm 24 x 30 x 0.8 inch
£1,536
1 536 £GB
Secure delivery : Cyprus
+ £163
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About the artwork
Type
Unique work
Signature
Hand-signed by artist
Authenticity
Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the gallery
Invoice from the gallery
Dimensions cm • inch
61 x 76.2 x 2 cm 24 x 30 x 0.8 inch Height x Width x Depth
Support
Framing
Black frame
Artwork dimensions including frame
71.1 x 86.4 x 3.2 cm 28 x 34 x 1.25 inch
Tags
Artwork sold in perfect condition, framed, ready to hang
Artwork location: Canada
"Ship of fools" is a fascinating and densely symbolic surrealist painting.
This work clearly draws from the lineage of Bosch and Bruegel. using dreamlike distortions, fantastical hybrid forms, and theatrical figures to explore human folly, instability, and the collapse of rational order. The “ship," while nominally a vessel, is instead a fleshy, lumbering creature—part elephant, part eroded monument—barely afloat in an ambiguous, watery expanse. The painting radiates a sense of absurdity mixed with melancholy.
They are the key elements:
The 'Ship' Creature: formed like a sagging, eroded elephant. (The elephant is the symbol of the Republican Party of the US and the elephant on this painting is nothing but the flipped map of the US). Its body carries humanoid embryonic shapes—suggesting history, memories, or the burdens of past generations. The animal is half-sinking, half-walking in shallow water, conveying instability and futility. Represents civilization or society carrying its own decayed, inherited absurdities.
The Fools: Small jester-like characters with multicoloured hats. They sit perched precariously atop the creature, oblivious to its disintegration. In medieval allegory, fools are those guided by impulse, obliviousness, or corrupted wisdom. Here they appear to be the “crew," steering nothing, simply enjoying the ride.
Drifting Constructs: Strange skeletal and organic forms hover or dangle on strings, like marionettes. They reflect illusions, false beliefs, and the strings of manipulation that guide society.
The Distorted Sky creates a specific atmosphere, echoing uncertainty and psychological turbulence.
This painting reminds us that Human Folly and Collective Delusion are very captivative for masses who cannot think "out of the box" and follow the common sense.
The title “Ship of Fools" references a medieval and Renaissance allegory: a vessel populated entirely by the foolish, lacking destination, drifting aimlessly. Here, the ship is not even seaworthy - it is a suffering creature.
The embedded fetal shapes, fossils, and worn body suggest that the “ship" bears the accumulated weight of ignorance and folly passed down through time.
The jester-like characters add theatricality. Their bright faces contrast with the dark background, emphasizing the absurd, carnival-like surface of human behaviour.
The creature barely stands, with thin stilts or legs sinking into water. Society's foundation is depicted as unstable, veering toward collapse.
This "Ship of Fools" is not simply a representation of folly, but a commentary on how society—laden with inherited errors and guided by distractions—moves forward without direction. The painting merges humour with foreboding, creating a surreal tableau where absurdity is both playful and tragic.
About the seller
VOYZX Fine Art Project • Canada
Artsper seller since 2020
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Discover more by the artist
Vladimir Kolosov
Fine Art Drawings - 104.1 x 78.7 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 41 x 31 x 0.01 inch
£709
Presentation
Vladimir Kolosov is a Canadian painter born in 1962, renowned for his multidisciplinary approach and distinctive neo-surrealist style. Originally from the USSR, he emigrated to Canada in 2006 and currently resides in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. From a young age, Kolosov was immersed in visual arts and music, developing an artistic sensibility that is reflected in his works. His academic background is extensive, including studies in fine arts, music, mathematics, physics, psychology, and business management, giving him a unique perspective on his artistic practice.
His work is characterized by an exploration of inner and outer worlds, using a variety of mediums such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastels . Kolosov is recognized as a skilled colorist, creating compositions where colors play a central role in expressing emotions, contradictions, and contrasts. His paintings, often imbued with symbolism and metaphors, invite the viewer to reflect deeply on themes such as memory, time, identity, and the human condition.
Notable works include "Melancholic Observations of the Echoes from the Past," "Landscape with Levitating Metaphysical Still Life and Its Shadows," and "Hidden Thoughts Are Leaking Out." These pieces illustrate his ability to merge figurative and abstract elements to create enigmatic and evocative scenes. His style is influenced by artistic movements such as surrealism, metaphysical art, and abstract expressionism.
Kolosov has exhibited his work in various countries, including Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, and Switzerland. He has also participated in interdisciplinary projects, such as the VOYZX Exhibition of Contemporary Surrealism in Vancouver in 2019 and 2021, and the international project Colours of My Ice-Dreams in collaboration with Carpigiani Gelato University and the Gelato Museum in Italy.
In addition to his artistic practice, Kolosov is an active art critic and curator. He has published essays on contemporary surrealism in international journals such as VOYZX Art, Surrealismo International (Spain), and Agulha Revista de Cultura (Brazil). His most recent book, “Vladimir Kolosov Through the Looking Glass" (VOYZX Press, 2022), offers an in-depth retrospective of his work.
A member of the AICA/IAAC (International Association of Art Critics) and the Vancouver Queer Art Festival, Kolosov continues to influence the contemporary art scene with his introspective approach and commitment to exploring the complexities of human experience through art.
Surrealist Artists
Painters
Artists working in drawing
Canadian artists
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This seller offers discount when you purchase multiple artworks!
Vladimir Kolosov
Fine Art Drawings - 104.1 x 78.7 x 0 cm Fine Art Drawings - 41 x 31 x 0.01 inch
£709
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