The Red Pillow 

Iwo Zaniewski created this painting, "The Red Pillow," using traditional materials – pigment suspended in oil, applied to a stretched canvas. Look closely, and you'll see that the paint is applied in many short strokes, almost like the weave of a textile. This gives the impression of soft textures. We feel we could sink into the thick, inviting bedspread or rest our head on the titular pillow. The open book and chair imply a person recently present. The artist has chosen to depict not an active scene, but a quiet moment of repose. What is the relationship between this scene of domestic comfort, and the labor that makes it possible? The linens, the furniture, the very space of the room – all are products of industry and skilled work. Perhaps Zaniewski is inviting us to consider these unseen hands, and the value of pausing for rest.