Tete VIII 1947

Pavel Tchelitchew made this drawing, Tete VIII, using what looks like colored pencil to render a face that’s both familiar and utterly strange. What strikes me is the way the face becomes a map, maybe of nerves or blood vessels, glowing with a kind of inner light. The marks are dense and layered, almost vibrating with energy. It feels like Tchelitchew wasn't just drawing what he saw, but what he imagined, what he felt. He was exploring the hidden structures beneath the surface. Look at the way the lines around the eye seem to orbit and spiral, as if the eye is the center of some kind of cosmic event. I love how the fleshy vulnerability of the face is overlaid with this intricate network of lines that seem to suggest the inner workings of the body and mind. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint's diagrams of spiritual dimensions, it’s this feeling that art is about revealing hidden worlds. Ultimately, this drawing is an invitation to see the world, and ourselves, in a new way.