“Sudzha” 60x85cm. 2023

paper, gouache, colored pastel, colored pencils

This portrait looks like a still from night vision. A Ukrainian soldier, fully equipped with optics and a weapon, emerges from a green glow - not just as a fighter, but as a symbol of presence. Above him, the sign reads “Sudzha” - the name of a Russian border town. In the context of this painting, it becomes a marker of space: we are already here.

The green light feels almost unreal. It speaks of modern warfare, night raids, technological superiority and also of irony. The enemy may still believe this place is safe. It’s not.

This is a painting about quiet presence. About the kind of fear that doesn’t come from noise, but from silence before precision.