Winter Drawing 

Editor: Here we have “Winter Drawing” by Iwo Zaniewski, created with pencil in a drawing style that blends realism and expressionism. It evokes this overwhelming sense of quiet contemplation, a stillness despite the vibrancy of the colors. What catches your eye in this intimate scene? Curator: You know, it whispers to me of those hushed moments before dawn. That sort of liminal space we all crave, especially in winter. But look how Zaniewski paints with light—the stark lamp cutting through the soft hues of the room…it’s as though the artist is saying, "Even in stillness, there's this sharp, insistent energy". Almost confrontational. Does it make you think of Hopper? Editor: Yes, definitely a shared mood of solitude, though Hopper often feels much colder to me. This feels warmer, almost nostalgic. But where does the “winter” aspect come in, since there isn't any snow or wintry subject directly portrayed? Curator: Good question! Maybe it's the quality of light—filtered, almost muffled, like light through frosted glass. Or perhaps, it’s psychological. A portrait of internal reflection, using the bare minimum. Tell me, does it resonate with your own experiences of winter? That feeling of wanting to just cocoon yourself? Editor: It really does. And I'm starting to think that the "winter" isn't literal at all, more a feeling, an atmosphere, an internal climate. Curator: Precisely. Zaniewski is using this moment to play with what we expect to see versus how we actually *feel*. Isn’t it clever how the art does the work to find shared sensations? Editor: It is! Now I’m also considering what winter represents symbolically—hibernation, reflection, things being hidden… thanks! Curator: That is really beautiful thinking on the matter! I find that seeing something in this piece comes back to thinking about the work our mind has to do to reconcile this interior state of being with something very external to ourselves.