Original artwork description:

- Size: 16x24 inches (40x60 cm)
- Materials: Oil on canvas
- Technique: Classical glazing technique
- Style: Classical realism
- Originality: Original artwork, one of a kind, not a print
- Year: 2024
- Signature: Signed on front/back, certificate of authenticity included
- Framing: Unframed


DESCRIPTION

There are things that speak to the soul in ways words can't quite capture. For Ukrainians, one of those things is varenyky - those humble dumplings that carry the weight of tradition, memory, and home. This painting understands that profound connection, presenting a simple ceramic bowl of varenyky as if it were a sacred offering, worthy of contemplation and reverence.

The composition is deceptively simple but deeply intentional. An ornate ceramic bowl - its dark glazed surface catching light in subtle gradations from burgundy to warm brown, traditional carved patterns circling its rim - sits centered on delicate embroidered fabric. Inside, pale varenyky rest in gentle arrangement, their pleated edges captured with loving precision. And here's where the painting transcends simple still life: two more varenyky float above the bowl, suspended in mid-air as if caught in that eternal moment between cooking and eating, between anticipation and satisfaction.

Those floating dumplings aren't whimsy - they're the visual equivalent of what the title promises: Ukrainian Zen. That state of perfect contentment when varenyky are on the table, when the world narrows to this moment, this food, this connection to every grandmother who ever pinched those perfect pleats, every family gathering where these appeared steaming and perfect. Ukrainians joke that they could watch varenyky forever - and this painting captures exactly that meditative quality, that sense of time suspended in the presence of something fundamentally nourishing.

The embroidered cloth beneath tells its own story. Traditional Ukrainian embroidery in brilliant blue sprawls across white fabric - intricate patterns of flowers, leaves, and geometric designs that speak of countless hours of careful handwork, of cultural knowledge passed through generations. One piece hangs suspended at top right, adding to that floating, dreamlike quality. The background fades to pale gray, creating a neutral space that lets these meaningful objects breathe.

Varenyky aren't fancy food - they're comfort, they're home, they're the taste of being cared for. By presenting them with this level of attention, surrounded by traditional embroidery that represents hours of loving labor, the artist creates a visual meditation on cultural identity lived through small rituals. This is heritage you can taste, tradition you can hold in your hands.

The title's gentle humor - "Ukrainian Zen" - acknowledges a truth every Ukrainian knows: there's a particular peace that comes with these dumplings. Whether filled with potato, cheese, cherries, or cabbage, whether boiled or fried, whether topped with sour cream or butter, varenyky represent a moment of rightness in the world. This painting invites you into that moment, suggests you could indeed watch forever, lost in contemplation of something so simple and so profound.


COLOR DISCLAIMER

Please note that colors in digital images may vary slightly from the actual artwork due to differences in screen settings, device calibration, and lighting conditions.
The full-frontal images of the artworks are captured with a professional camera in natural daylight to show the most accurate representation possible.


SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

- Safe Packaging: The artwork will be carefully packed for secure delivery
- International Shipping: Tracking number provided
- Note: Despite the ongoing russian invasion, postal services in Ukraine continue to operate reliably.
- Important: Shipping costs are calculated individually for each artwork at the time of shipment and may differ from those listed. Final shipping costs will be confirmed before shipment.


- Questions? Please contact me)

Materials used:

Oil

Tags: