After years spent creating abstract works in the wake of the Soviet State in the early 1990s, Ukrainian artist Anatoliy Kryvolap chose to return to figurative depictions of the Ukrainian landscape. The present lot forms part of the artist’s “Ukrainian Motive” series, in which he reflects on the inherent symbolism in the barren, yet meditative, desert landscape of his homeland. Untitled balances a painterly spontaneity with a sophisticated minimalist touch, all the while conveying the lyricism of the Ukrainian landscape. This winter scene is both a personal exploration of the country’s newfound freedom as well as a probing look into memory and loss.

In the spirit of other contemporary Ukrainian artists today, Kryvolap draws from Ukraine’s own rich traditions, while appropriating the elegantly sparse visual language of minimalism. The artist marries these legacies with a nuanced understanding of colour and form. Untitled is a quiet, yet exuberant work, melding an emotional nostalgia with an acutely analytical approach to abstraction.