Inner Relief, 2025

Iryna Tymovchak  

From the series “Between States"

This work explores the landscape as a reflection of an inner state — a space where emotional, bodily, and psychological processes emerge through form, movement, and texture.

In the “Between States" series, I turn to natural structures as metaphors for continuous inner transformation. The flows, fractures, and layered surfaces in this work evoke at once a riverbed, geological erosion, and traces of lived experience preserved within the body's memory.

I work at the boundary between control and letting go, allowing the material to move freely. Paint drips, dissolves, and accumulates in layers, forming a surface that feels both fragile and monumental. In this process, the material itself becomes a carrier of transformation.

The contrast between luminous open planes and dark, shifting depths creates a tension between stillness and inner movement. For me, this “inner relief" becomes an image of a state that is constantly changing while still retaining its coherence.

This is not a depiction of a specific landscape, but a space of experience — a place where the inner world takes form and becomes visible.

Technical Specifications & Shipping
This artwork is executed on unstretched canvas, emphasizing its organic and tactile nature.

* Dimensions (Unstretched): 160 × 150 cm
* Dimensions (When mounted on a stretcher frame): 150 × 140 × 2.5 cm
* Materials & Protection: The work is created with a minimal amount of oil pastel, applied in thin, delicate layers. To preserve the surface and ensure long-term stability, the artwork is sealed with several layers of professional fixative specifically designed for pastel works.
* Shipping: For safe transportation, the painting is carefully rolled in a heavy-duty tube. The surface is additionally protected with archival-grade parchment paper, which prevents friction and damage during transit. This method ensures the integrity of this type of work is fully preserved until it reaches its new home, where it can be professionally stretched.