Paola Minekov

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When I need a few quiet hours, I often retreat to my art studio and go back to working on my series Undercurrents. It’s a deeply contemplative, monochromatic body of work. Most people relate to these paintings, not everyone wants to live with them. Me, they make me rethink situations from my life and allow me the space to explore emotions without the distraction of colour. Which is strange considering just how colourful most of my other work is. On a normal day, I’m obsessed with colour.

The paintings from the Undercurrents series typically happen months, or even years after an experience. I tend to work them our in my head, both the experiences and emotions and the actual compositions of the paintings, long before I sit down to paint them. I find this easy, I imagine the artwork, draw it small and then enlarge it. Very little of it actually changes from my initial vision to the finished piece.

In the world of contemporary art, few styles evoke as much intrigue and contemplation as semi abstract works like these. The title piece Undercurrents is an example of this genre, seamlessly blending geometric shapes with ethereal qualities to create what I believe is a captivating visual experience. 

At first glance, Undercurrents draws you in with its monochrome palette, where soft shades of grey and white come together in a harmonious interplay. This choice of colour (or the lack thereof) is meant to enhance the piece's minimalistic nature and to invite you to explore the subtleties within the composition and interaction of the figures. The geometric gradients and overlapping forms create a sense of depth and connection, suggesting layers of meaning beneath the surface.

When I was learning to paint, I was encouraged to avoid creating narrative artwork. I internalised this idea, so most of my paintings encourage the viewer to create their own narrative. So there isn’t much of “he said this and she did that” in my work. Or, the artist meant to say “xyz” for that matter. It’s more about experiencing emotions.

I have tried to position the figurative elements in a way I find striking, in order to create an interaction between the figures. The central figure in the paintings from Undercurrents series, with its serene expression and elongated features, embodies a sense of introspection, perhaps. In my world, she exists in a liminal space, caught between reality and abstraction. The shadowy male silhouette in the background adds an intriguing layer, hinting at the complexities of relationships and self-perception. It raises questions about the distance between the self and the external world, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own experiences. From here on, you’re free to create your own story.

The geometric shapes that surround the figure serve to breach the distance between the figures and create a unified space within the composition, mindful of supporting the focal point of the artwork. They create a rhythm that guides the eye across the painting, evoking a sense of fluidity and continuity. It’s an approach I discovered when copying a Picasso still life as a girl. Everything in his composition led to the next rather brilliantly. Ever since, this is something I tend to employ in my own compositions. I feel this approach encourages us to pause, breathe, and engage with our inner selves while engaging with the painting.

We live in a world filled with noise and distraction, with everyone fighting over our attention. Oversaturated visuals, never ending social feeds, constant ads, people on their phones all the time instead of actually communicating. It’s awful. It can feel overwhelming and I think that observing paintings, slowly, introspectively, can offer us a moment of stillness.

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