Original artwork description:

In Spring Vibes 3, Ukrainian artist Inga Makarova uses a minimalist composition to deliver a conceptually charged visual experience. A flowering branch – classically painted in oil – unfurls across a dark burgundy background, its creamy blossoms opening in serene silence. But this serene stillness is abruptly punctured by the presence of a liquid-filled condom hanging from the same branch, swaying like an unorthodox blossom. It’s this unexpected pairing that gives the painting its striking power and ironic edge.

The filled condom isn’t just a surreal twist – it becomes a complex symbol. It speaks of stored desire, constrained fertility, the physicality of reproduction, and the societal mechanisms that manage it. By inserting a highly intimate, modern object into a romanticized scene of natural blooming, Makarova draws attention to the contradictions we live with: between nature and culture, passion and protection, fertility and sterility. The work gently mocks romanticized spring themes while honoring them in visual form. It’s simultaneously sensual and satirical, delicate and disarming.

Perfect for collectors of conceptual or feminist art, Spring Vibes 3 balances wit and craft, and invites slow, reflective looking with a smirk just below the surface.

Materials used:

Oil

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