In the midst of silence, 2025

Kateryna Kolesnykova  

In this work, the artist creates a space of inner security—that rare state into which a person enters only when in the presence of a being that accepts them unconditionally. The warm figure of the dog occupies almost the entire foreground, forming a soft landscape, a kind of “living mattress" upon which the human body can allow itself to relax completely. The woman buries her face in its neck, as if listening to the vibration of calm passing through the fur.

The color palette—rich burgundy, ochre, and flesh tones—evokes the atmosphere of an intimate evening. The shadows here do not frighten, but rather embrace. The space behind does not appear as a specific interior or landscape, but as an emotional backdrop composed of surges of color and rhythmic strokes. This is how the artist conveys the feeling of a quiet refuge where time ceases to rush by.

The composition is structured so that the bodies of the human and the dog overlap, merging into a single form. This gesture is not merely tenderness, but an affirmation of the possibility of harmony between the human and the animal, between mind and instinct, between fatigue and rest.

The painting speaks of closeness as a simple and primal gift: sometimes, no words, movements, or events are needed for renewal—it is enough simply to rest your head next to someone who breathes in your rhythm.

Series Quiet Closeness