Secret of the Mermaid - Large Blue Ocean Art (2026) Original Oil Painting by Julia Shilo

The Secret of the Mermaid
Size: 90 × 90 cm
Materials: oil on canvas
Unstretched. Shipped rolled in a tube.

The Secret of the Mermaid is a metaphor for the hidden part of human nature — the desires, instincts, impulses, and emotional depths we try to discipline in order to fit within the boundaries created by society, relationships, and our own self-control.

The mermaid in this work is not portrayed as a mythical seductress, but as a symbol of the untamed inner self. Suspended underwater inside a transparent structure, she exists between freedom and restraint, instinct and awareness. The glass-like boundaries surrounding the figure resemble an emotional architecture: invisible limits we build around ourselves to contain what feels too wild, too vulnerable, or too honest to reveal openly.

The composition creates a tension between silence and movement. The flowing hair, the suspended body, the glowing underwater atmosphere — all suggest an inner force that continues to exist beneath calm surfaces. Rather than depicting suppression as something tragic, the work reflects the complex beauty of self-awareness: the human ability to coexist with desire without destroying oneself through it.

The monochromatic blue palette intensifies the meditative and psychological atmosphere of the painting. Deep cobalt blue, ultramarine shadows, luminous white reflections, cool aqua tones, and soft oceanic gradients create a sense of depth, stillness, and emotional immersion. Light moves through the water like memory or subconscious thought, revealing fragments while keeping the full truth hidden.

This artwork invites the viewer to reflect on the delicate balance between authenticity and control. Is our “wild” nature something to hide, or something to understand and integrate? Perhaps true harmony is not the absence of inner storms, but learning how to live peacefully with them.

Shades

deep cobalt blue, ultramarine, midnight blue, aqua tones, icy white, cool reflections, ocean shadows, soft gradients

Ideal Collector

Ideal for collectors of contemporary figurative and conceptual art who are drawn to symbolic imagery, psychological themes, and emotionally immersive works. Particularly appealing for collectors interested in mythology, feminine archetypes, surreal atmospheres, and monochromatic blue palettes.

Ideal Space

modern interior, minimalist apartment, gallery wall, luxury office, boutique hotel, meditation room, contemporary bedroom, creative studio, art cafe, collector space

Artistic Style and Theme

Contemporary figurative conceptual art.

Themes: hidden desire, emotional restraint, feminine archetype, subconscious, inner freedom, self-control, mermaid symbolism, identity, vulnerability, surreal atmosphere, psychological depth, instinct, emotional tension




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Materials used:

oil

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 90 x 90cm (unframed)
• Signed certificate of authenticity
• Style: Surrealistic
• Subject: Nudes and erotic