Moscow-born painter Evgeniy Monahov loves to capture life’s fleeting moments in the most dynamic way possible. Whether it’s the invisible beauty of music, a slow, sensual dance, or the sudden intensity of a bar-room brawl, Evgeniy weaves a grand tapestry of humanity in his work that is sure to captivate any viewer.
Unknown, below, showcases a woman lost in thought, her eyes wistfully dreaming of something we can only guess at. And yet, behind her, a wild flurry of brilliant color gives us a tiny glimpse of the infinite worlds her mind may be envisioning.
I love that in this painting, Evgeniy’s abstract brushstrokes effectively heighten the visuaion tension and movement in an otherwise realist portrait. . . as well as convey a non-representational expression of the hidden worlds of the mind.
Moving from serenity to discord, Fighting without a cause puts us directly in the middle of a surging, angry mob; a riot of fists, elbows, and battered, bloody faces.
Like Caravaggio, Evgeniy uses the intense darks and lights of his medium to draw focus to one character in particular—the man in a ripped white shirt, his eyes swollen to near un-recognizability, one fist still shuddering from its last thrown punch.
Creating a work of art like this is almost inconceivable to me: the amount of planning, staging, sketching, lighting. . . all for one glorious moment, painted on a canvas more than 3 feet by almost 5 feet wide. It’s breathtaking, and absolutely one of the most astounding paintings I’ve ever seen.
Lastly, in the same theme of fighting, Evgeniy has painted a wonderful portrait of a young boxer at rest, titled, I always wanted to be a meek girl.
Painted primarily in colors of red, gold, and blue, it’s a stunning composition all on its own—crossed arms clad in boxing gloves lead directly to a strong, confident face—but it’s the look in this young woman’s eyes that takes this painting to another level.
If you’d like to see more of Evgeniy’s inspiring work (and I hope you do!) please visit his website today. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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