God Offline (2025) Original Oil Painting by Mariia Bashtova

This original surrealist painting, rich in symbolism, reflects on the human cost of war and the search for spiritual connection in a world marked by violence. Created in response to the war in Ukraine, the painting gives form to the anguish of seeking comfort, protection, and meaning while suffering continues.
A woman presses a seashell to her ear, listening for an answer. Her gaze carries vulnerability, weariness, and a quiet reproach. Broken antennas emerging from her wounded back suggest a painful attempt to maintain a connection that has been interrupted.
The words “GOD OFFLINE” express a deeply human experience of spiritual silence in the face of suffering, while the woman’s continued listening suggests that hope and faith have not entirely disappeared. The phrase brings a bitter contemporary irony to an enduring human question: how do we sustain belief when the answers we seek remain beyond our reach?

Combining classical portraiture with contemporary symbolism, the painting invites reflection on faith, human responsibility, and our response to the suffering of others.

Surrealism,Contemporary,Realism, Conceptual Art, PoliticalSurrealism

Materials used:

Gallery wrapped canvas, oil paint, varnish

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 55.88 x 71.12 x 3.81cm (unframed) / 55.88 x 71.12cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Surrealistic
• Subject: People and portraits