Rosa and Rita (2022) Original Oil Painting by Mariia Bashtova

“Rosa & Rita” is an original figurative oil painting exploring friendship, individuality, and the character that develops over a lifetime.
Standing side by side, the two women meet the viewer with distinct expressions and an unassuming confidence. Their patterned clothes, shopping bags, pearls, and practical shoes give the portrait its everyday intimacy. Each detail contributes to a sense of who they are, while leaving their stories open to interpretation.
The vivid yellow background lends warmth and energy to the composition. Flowers, checks, and stripes create a lively interplay of colour and pattern, bringing out the differences between the two figures while holding them together as a pair. Expressive brushwork preserves the spontaneity of this ordinary moment.
Rather than idealising its subjects, “Rosa & Rita” embraces the particular features, gestures, and personal choices that make them memorable. It invites us to look closely at people we might otherwise pass in the street, finding humour, dignity, and companionship in everyday life.

Materials used:

Stretched canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Varnish

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 76.2 x 101.6 x 1.27cm (unframed) / 76.2 x 101.6cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: People and portraits