Love Yourself — Lockdown Study (2020) Original Acrylic Painting by Maria Seltsova

Created during the lockdown period, this painting emerged from a time of isolation and uncertainty. Made on the artist's terrace beneath the constant sound of helicopters overhead, the work became a personal ritual of grounding and emotional balance amid external turbulence.

Executed in black and white, the composition reflects the search for equilibrium between opposing forces: fear and resilience, tension and calm, isolation and connection. Inspired by the Taoist concept of Yin and Yang, the monochrome palette symbolizes the coexistence of contrasting energies that together create wholeness.

Part of the Love Yourself project, this work transforms a challenging moment into an act of self-care and reflection, exploring how balance can be found even in the midst of instability. Through expressive gestures and intuitive mark-making, the painting becomes a meditation on endurance, acceptance, and inner harmony.

Materials used:

Acrylics and performative act

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 50 x 60 x 4cm (unframed) / 50 x 60cm (actual image size)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the back
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative