‘Awakening’

‘Awakening’, 2026

Oleksandra Malyshko

Oil, Oil Pastel on Canvas –  27.6″ x 23.6″

“Awakening” is a testament to resilience, painted in January 2026 in the frontline city of Dnipro, Ukraine. Created during winter blackouts amidst heavy snow, these tulips represent an unstoppable surge of life in a time of darkness.

Using a limited palette of oil paints and my favorite oil pastels, I developed a thick, raw, and energetic texture. This work is deeply inspired by the expressive freedom of Chaim Soutine. His mastery gave me the “permission” to ignore dire circumstances and paint with absolute honesty, right here and now.

The painting features a turbulent, rhythmic movement where the bouquet and background merge into a singular dance of energy. It is a dialogue between the timeless wisdom of art history and the pulsing reality of modern Ukraine. For a collector, this original painting is more than art; it is a piece of contemporary history and a symbol of the indomitable human spirit.

Oleksandra Malyshko is a Ukrainian landscape impressionist artist from Dnipro. Her path started in architecture, which gave her a sense of structure and rhythm. But today, when she paints, her main goal is simply to catch a fleeting moment of life, its movement, and its flow.

Living in Ukraine today, Oleksandra chooses not to paint literal images of explosions or war. Instead, she processes the reality around her through her intense use of red and fiery tones. This vibrant color and movement are her personal way of living through the state of war as an artist, finding life and energy amid the darkness.