A Moment Just for Me, 2026

Viktoriia Kolesnykova  

The need to be alone does not arise from a desire for silence, but from the exhaustion of constantly being present for others. From the need to meet expectations, to be attentive, caring, and available. Living outward for too long gradually becomes draining. We stop noticing our own desires, lose touch with our emotions, and sometimes become so accustomed to tension that we no longer even feel pain.
In this painting, solitude becomes an act of returning to oneself. It is a space where, for a while, a person steps outside their social roles and allows themselves simply to exist—without the need to be useful, understood, or convenient for others. Here, she learns once again to listen to her body, to her desires, and allows herself to experience pleasure as a natural part of being alive.
Within the context of The Dark Side of Light series, this painting explores a theme that often remains hidden: the desire to place one's own needs before those of others. What is often perceived as distance or selfishness is presented here as a necessary condition for inner restoration. Only by turning attention back to oneself can a person regain a sense of wholeness.
The work invites viewers to reflect on the boundary between caring for others and caring for oneself. It asks whether we have the right, at least sometimes, to choose ourselves without guilt. And whether it is possible to be enough for ourselves—not because others are unnecessary, but because the relationship we have with ourselves is the first one we ever know and the only one that remains with us throughout our lives.

**This painting is sold stretched on a wooden stretcher frame and is ready to hang. The artwork measures 120 × 100 cm (47.2 × 39.4 in).