Roman Zhuk

Roman Zhuk (1955) is a Ukrainian artist and one of the founders of Ukrainian transavant-garde. His works have been exhibited worldwide. He worked in the styles of metaphysical realism, surrealism, and symbolism, combining realistic techniques with fantastic and ironic narratives. Everyday images in his paintings take on deeper or even mysterious meanings.

"Red Still Life with a Bottle" is built on subtle nuances of red tones. The artist forgoes traditional techniques of volume depiction in favor of the metaphysical significance of objects. The composition is simplified yet rich in subtext, prompting the viewer to contemplate the hidden relationships between the objects.

The late 1970s — marked the formation of Zhuk’s artistic language, when painting became an oasis of existential detachment for him. He actively explored still life as a genre, endowing it with new figurative qualities. During this period, he employed a minimalist approach to form and a deep color palette to create emotionally charged and conceptually layered images.