Information about the work
In the museum collection of the Sumy Regional Art Museum is the work A Stray Dog in Our Yard [Chuzhyi Sobaka v Nashomu Dvori] (oil on canvas, 1988; entered the collection in 1990). A stylized, decorative, multi-figure composition divided into separate multicolored vertical and horizontal planes and squares. The work conveys the impression of a generalized, almost naively expressivist everyday scene where genre motifs, conditional figurativeness, and decorative flatness combine. The composition is fragmented yet balanced. The space is partitioned into conditional blocks resembling a collage. The central vertical (a figure in a red skirt, a leaning woman) creates an axis around which other characters are grouped. On the right is a group in motion (stairs, children); on the left is a more static zone. Such a construction creates a rhythmic contrast between calm and dynamism.
The figures are generalized, almost schematic, with distorted proportions and perspective. The space is flat, devoid of depth, where characters exist overlapping one another, reinforcing the sense of convention and symbolism. The palette is rich and contrasting: warm red and orange tones dominate, balanced by cool blue and dark accents. This color contrast adds emotional tension while simultaneously unifying different parts of the composition. The mobility of figures and gestures, along with the inclination of bodies, form an internal rhythm. The right section is particularly dynamic (movement down the stairs), whereas the left is more static. The leaning central figure adds an element of unexpectedness to the composition, disrupting conventional spatial logic.
The narrative is metaphorical. The scenes evoke daily life, where children, adults, and a cat move briskly. The dog at the bottom left is the static main character of the piece, contrasting with human activity. Among the residents of the building, a sense of anxiety is felt due to the invasion of their space by an unwanted guest. The work leans toward naive art with elements of modernist decorativeness (flatness, ornamentality, generalization of forms). An expressionist influence is tangible through the emotionally charged palette and deformation of figures. The painting evokes a feeling of the polyphony of life—somewhat chaotic yet unified. It fuses the mundane with convention, reality with symbolism. “The postmodern language of his works possesses a complex internal structure and is marked by the individuality of the artist’s personal manner. Since the late 20th century, the artist has combined figurativeness with suggestive principles of color, seeking to comprehend a chaotically disconnected empirical world” (Svitlana Pobozhiy). The narratives of his canvases are filled with symbols that invite intellectual dialogue.