Even today, the artist inspires…

09.04.2022  Yulia Tulegenova, art critic and reviewer

   There is no single answer to the question of what modern painting is. Artists continue to experiment with color, form and texture to create unique and exciting paintings. Some artists may explore new and unconventional techniques, while others may stick to traditional methods and styles. Either way, contemporary painting is about creativity and self-expression, contemporary paintings often inspire us and remind us that our world is amazingly beautiful, diverse and full of potential.

Anna Zhila is a contemporary artist who specializes in creating lively and emotional paintings. Her works, in which there is a careful attitude towards tradition, really touch and fascinate: they remind us of the importance of man in today’s complex world, of spiritual and moral values, of the need for inner deep work on oneself.

Using a variety of techniques and methods of working in oil, Anna achieves artistic imagery, compositional integrity, expressiveness of texture, depth of space in her searches – portraits, landscapes, still lifes, compositions. For example, in her Father the artist skillfully uses glaze technique that gives the image incredible depth.

“Father”, Anna Zhila, 2020, oil on canvas, 70×50 cm

“Father” is not just a work of art, it is a lifelong journey, a long selfless service of a clergyman to God and people, the sunset of human existence. It is obvious that compositionally Anna Zhila has calculated so that in the background to place the main milestones of her hero, his works, the main achievements of his earthly journey. Her ability to work not only on large canvases, but also to create miniatures speaks of the artist’s skill. “Morning Prayer” is a palm-sized, tiny landscape of a monastery at dawn. On the small surface of the 9×9 cm board is placed many finely painted churches. The peculiarity of this painting is the conveyance of purity and severity, the jewel-like thoroughness of the writing, the virtuoso technique of Anna Zhila.

“Morning Prayer,” Anna Zhila, 2017, oil on wood 9×9 cm

Every morning is a time to start life again. However, your day begins, rain or shine, be thankful to God… See each morning dawn as the beginning of your life, and each sunset as the end of it. Let each of these brief lives be marked by some good deed, some knowledge gained, or some victory over yourself.