Man With a Lollipop (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by Zakhar Shevchuk

Man With a Lollipop places an apparently innocent pleasure inside the visual codes of adult masculinity. A heavy, bearded man in a checked cap faces us with a bright yellow lollipop in his mouth – an object positioned almost exactly where the viewer might expect a cigarette.

That substitution lies at the centre of the painting. Shevchuk considers how behaviours that pass without interpretation in childhood become socially coded in adulthood, particularly for men. The lollipop can remain simply a sweet, but it can also appear comic, tender, provocative or unexpectedly sensual. The painting never establishes which interpretation is correct.

This ambiguity turns the portrait back towards its viewer. Masculinity and sexuality are suggested without being defined, while the expressive handling of paint keeps the figure psychologically open rather than illustrative. Beneath its humour, Man With a Lollipop asks why such a small object can so dramatically alter what we imagine about the person holding it.

Materials used:

Acrylic

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 50 x 60 x 2cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed certificate of authenticity
• Style: Naive
• Subject: People and portraits