Portrait of a Brother 1989

Oleg Holosiy created this portrait of a brother with what looks like sanguine chalk or conte crayon. It's all about the immediacy of mark-making, capturing a likeness, but also the feeling of a person. The powdery texture gives it this lovely, almost ghostly quality. Notice how he builds up the shadows with layers of hatching. There's a real tenderness in the way he renders the face, especially around the eyes and mouth. But then, those quick, scribbled lines in the background add a sense of unease, like the figure is floating in space. The way the lines are smudged and blended creates a soft, hazy effect, as if the memory of his brother is fading or shifting. For me, this piece reminds me of the drawings of Wilhelm Lehmbruck, particularly in the way he uses simple, expressive lines to convey complex emotions. In the end, this artwork is about seeing and feeling, about capturing something elusive and ineffable.