#00610 Lana Dorosheva

The drawing presents a vertically oriented composition framed by a gold border. The central figure is a woman depicted in a stylized manner, her pose suggesting movement and perhaps a degree of theatricality. She appears to be holding fabric or drapery that swirls around her body, obscuring parts of her form while simultaneously emphasizing its contours. Her expression is ambiguous; it could convey either amusement or a detached observation.
Flanking the central figure are two smaller female heads, rendered with an unsettling quality – their eyes appear large and somewhat vacant, their expressions hinting at melancholy or perhaps even madness. These figures seem to emerge from swirling patterns that fill the upper portion of the composition, creating a sense of confinement or entrapment. The background is densely patterned with small dots and intricate lines, contributing to a feeling of visual complexity and potential anxiety.
At the base of the drawing, a different figure is presented in profile. This individual’s face is heavily made-up, with exaggerated features that suggest an artificiality or performative identity. They hold what appears to be a cigarette, further reinforcing this sense of constructed persona. The lower portion of the composition is also filled with the same dense pattern as the background, visually connecting the observer to the central scene and suggesting a shared space or experience.
The subtexts within the drawing seem to explore themes of identity, performance, and perhaps the psychological toll of societal expectations. The contrast between the idealized figure in the center and the heavily made-up individual at the base suggests a commentary on the construction of beauty and the pressures faced by women. The unsettling expressions of the flanking figures could represent internal struggles or anxieties that lie beneath the surface of outward appearances. The overall effect is one of dreamlike surrealism, where reality is distorted and psychological states are given visual form.