Female image. Redhead 1975

Curator: Hryhorii Havrylenko's "Female image. Redhead," a pencil drawing on paper from 1975—talk about capturing a moment! There’s an immediacy here, a certain… electricity to those quick, confident lines. What leaps out at you, as you look at this, well, electrifying woman? Editor: I'm struck by the vibrancy. Even with just pencils on paper, there’s such energy in her gaze and the way the colors pop. What kind of statement do you think Havrylenko was making with that stark contrast? Curator: A statement? Perhaps. Or perhaps, it's more a whisper, shared between the artist and the subject – and now, with us. Notice how the hatching gives her almost a halo. Do you think it's trying to trap a fleeting emotion? The redhead isn't just observed, she *lives* within those lines. Her gaze meets ours head on, as if the page isn't even there. How does that strike you? Editor: It feels very intimate, very immediate, but also… slightly unfinished? Like a sketch capturing the essence rather than a complete portrait. Curator: Exactly! A dance between completion and suggestion. Perhaps he's inviting us to complete the narrative ourselves. That space—dare I say negative space— lets the viewer create our own context for who this person might be. Are there things in your life which are complete versus unfinished? Editor: Definitely! This makes me consider the story the artist wasn’t telling, but the gaps allow me to bring myself into the artwork, like she might be my cool aunt that lives in another city, always wears bright clothes, and writes poetry! Thank you! Curator: Precisely, the ghost of inspiration flitting through us! Isn’t it wonderful how a simple drawing can unlock whole worlds within? And now she's part of us both in a way that is tangible and unforgettable!