- Kateryna Kostyk
- All Artworks
- “Parallel Lies”
Original artwork description
“Parallel Lies” is the third surrealist work by Ukrainian artist Kateryna Kostyk. In this drawing, the artist explores the anatomy of duplicity — not as a simple moral flaw, but as a layered psychological and social phenomenon.
The composition presents a female figure whose torso gives birth to two identical heads emerging in opposite directions, each leaning outward as if to whisper a different version of reality. The image is unsettling and symbolic: one body, one source, yet divided voices. Through this visual metaphor, Kostyk reveals the distortion of hypocrisy — how a single individual can construct parallel narratives depending on the audience.
Between the two heads stretches a dense black substance resembling tar. The same viscous mass fills the split of the torso, and the body itself appears partially submerged in this thick, sticky matter. This element is intentional and central to the work’s symbolism. The tar-like material represents the moral dirt of hypocrisy. Lies and duplicity are not neutral traits — they carry weight, heaviness, and ethical decay. The dark substance visualizes how a person gradually sinks into the consequences of their own insincerity, often without realizing it. The more the voice divides, the deeper the body is consumed by this suffocating mass.
However, this work goes beyond the idea of spreading false or insincere information from one person to another. “Parallel Lies” also addresses a quieter, more intimate form of hypocrisy — the betrayal of one’s own beliefs. It reflects moments when a person abandons their values for approval, pretends to admire what they internally reject, or reshapes their preferences to fit different environments. The duplicity portrayed here is not only social — it is profoundly personal.
The inspiration for the piece emerged from encountering a real-life example of someone who contradicted their own convictions while performatively expressing admiration and agreement. That moment became the catalyst for a broader reflection: how often do people fracture themselves in order to belong? At what point does adaptation turn into self-betrayal?
Executed in a surrealist manner, the drawing intensifies reality to expose its hidden structures. The duplicated head functions as a symbol of parallel truths, fragmented integrity, and selective honesty. The whispering gesture suggests secrecy, manipulation, and the subtle transmission of altered narratives. The black mass amplifies the emotional tension of the composition, embodying the internal corrosion that accompanies moral compromise.
“Parallel Lies” stands as a symbolic commentary on human relationships, social masks, and the fragile boundary between diplomacy and deception. It invites the viewer to confront uncomfortable questions:
Are we always sincere in our words and preferences?
Do we change our voice depending on who is listening?
And what remains of us when that voice splits in two?
This artwork continues Kateryna Kostyk’s exploration of surreal symbolism as a tool for dissecting contemporary human behavior. It is not merely a depiction of hypocrisy — it is a visual exposure of its structure and its weight.
Materials used:
charcoal, graphite pencils, varnish
Details:
- Charcoal drawing on Paper
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 60 x 84cm (unframed)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Surrealistic
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#drawing#charcoal#symbolism#psychological#surrealart#double face#darkart#duplicity#charcoaldrawing#surreailsm
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Original artwork description
“Parallel Lies” is the third surrealist work by Ukrainian artist Kateryna Kostyk. In this drawing, the artist explores the anatomy of duplicity — not as a simple moral flaw, but as a layered psychological and social phenomenon.
The composition presents a female figure whose torso gives birth to two identical heads emerging in opposite directions, each leaning outward as if to whisper a different version of reality. The image is unsettling and symbolic: one body, one source, yet divided voices. Through this visual metaphor, Kostyk reveals the distortion of hypocrisy — how a single individual can construct parallel narratives depending on the audience.
Between the two heads stretches a dense black substance resembling tar. The same viscous mass fills the split of the torso, and the body itself appears partially submerged in this thick, sticky matter. This element is intentional and central to the work’s symbolism. The tar-like material represents the moral dirt of hypocrisy. Lies and duplicity are not neutral traits — they carry weight, heaviness, and ethical decay. The dark substance visualizes how a person gradually sinks into the consequences of their own insincerity, often without realizing it. The more the voice divides, the deeper the body is consumed by this suffocating mass.
However, this work goes beyond the idea of spreading false or insincere information from one person to another. “Parallel Lies” also addresses a quieter, more intimate form of hypocrisy — the betrayal of one’s own beliefs. It reflects moments when a person abandons their values for approval, pretends to admire what they internally reject, or reshapes their preferences to fit different environments. The duplicity portrayed here is not only social — it is profoundly personal.
The inspiration for the piece emerged from encountering a real-life example of someone who contradicted their own convictions while performatively expressing admiration and agreement. That moment became the catalyst for a broader reflection: how often do people fracture themselves in order to belong? At what point does adaptation turn into self-betrayal?
Executed in a surrealist manner, the drawing intensifies reality to expose its hidden structures. The duplicated head functions as a symbol of parallel truths, fragmented integrity, and selective honesty. The whispering gesture suggests secrecy, manipulation, and the subtle transmission of altered narratives. The black mass amplifies the emotional tension of the composition, embodying the internal corrosion that accompanies moral compromise.
“Parallel Lies” stands as a symbolic commentary on human relationships, social masks, and the fragile boundary between diplomacy and deception. It invites the viewer to confront uncomfortable questions:
Are we always sincere in our words and preferences?
Do we change our voice depending on who is listening?
And what remains of us when that voice splits in two?
This artwork continues Kateryna Kostyk’s exploration of surreal symbolism as a tool for dissecting contemporary human behavior. It is not merely a depiction of hypocrisy — it is a visual exposure of its structure and its weight.
Materials used:
charcoal, graphite pencils, varnish
Details:
- Charcoal drawing on Paper
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 60 x 84cm (unframed)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Surrealistic
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#drawing#charcoal#symbolism#psychological#surrealart#double face#darkart#duplicity#charcoaldrawing#surreailsm