Original artwork description:

The Strain of Balance is a psychologically charged oil painting by Ukrainian artist Zakhar Shevchuk. The 154x100 cm composition presents a figure frozen in an arching pose between two spheres – delicately balanced, impossibly held, and quietly tense.

Painted in blue tones evocative of Picasso’s Blue Period, the work is an emotional study in endurance. “Balance,” as Shevchuk writes, “is not about stillness – it’s about continuous effort.” The figure stands not on firm ground, but on metaphor: one foot on fragility, the other on risk.

This large-scale piece is part of Shevchuk’s ongoing exploration of the human psyche through figurative minimalism. It invites reflection on the sustained inner labour required to hold ourselves together - even when the world sees only calm.

Materials used:

Oil

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