Maybe I Was Never Meant to Be Soft, 2026

Viktoriia Kolesnykova  

We all learn, over the years, to hide our “thorns" — anger, shame, suppressed aggression, pain, or desires that feel uncomfortable. Everything that someone once told us was “wrong" about us. We try to cut away these sharp edges, to become more agreeable, softer, safer for others.
But this painting is about the moment when you stop running from yourself.
She sits in the middle of dark water — naked, calm, and whole. Beneath her are sharp, thorny cacti. Yet she does not try to avoid them or fight them. They are her home.
The parts of ourselves we have learned to see as “sharp" do not necessarily need to be eradicated. Anger does not make us cruel. Sexuality does not make us unworthy. Aggression does not mean attack. Shame does not determine our worth.
An experience that once seemed destructive does not necessarily have to become an enemy. It can become a source of strength. And from the places of our deepest wounds and the parts of ourselves once considered “uncomfortable," tender, luminous flowers can bloom.
This is an anchor work about the courage to reclaim our wholeness, embrace our own thorns, and allow them to bloom.

Suitable for stretching on a standard 36 × 36 in (91.4 × 91.4 cm) or 90 × 90 cm stretcher frame.
Canvas size: 106 × 108 cm (41.3 × 42.5 in).
Sold unstretched.