Valentyn Khrushch

Valentyn Khrushch (1943-2005) was a Ukrainian artist and a central figure in the Odesa underground art scene of the second half of the 20th century. He was proficient in various painting styles, collage techniques, sculpture, and wood carving. He worked in the genres of still life, abstraction, nude, and landscape. His manner was distinguished by lightness, dynamism, and expressive brushstrokes. He was an organizer of apartment exhibitions and the first outdoor exhibitions in the USSR, the most famous of which was the Fence Exhibition of 1967, held together with Stanislav Sychev.

The painting "Cosmos" conveys a sense of boundlessness and interaction with unknown forces. The composition is built on the contrast between light and darkness, creating an effect of flight and immersion into another reality. The artwork reflects an inner experience of this vastness and the unity of space and time.