

Roman Bonchuk
b. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, 1980
y. active 2000 - present
Waiting for the Occupant
watercolor on paper, 17.7 x 30 in
Created on April 8, 2022
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See all of the works in the exhibit HERE
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At the time of painting, the artist was in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine. He did not have to flee and continued to work in his studio.
$1,000
All proceeds go to help artists in Ukraine and to foster US-Ukraine cultural ties and cooperation. Please use Contact Form or see restaurant staff if you are interested in purchasing.
Roman took basic and academic training in painting for eight years. Having the act of painting down he is able to express himself with ease and produce art that narrates modern events, often using known symbols as a channel. Roman’s true passion; however, is large works and particularly murals. He has already set a personal record by painting a work that is 100 feet in length, and already planning the next one that will be 160 feet.
This work was inspired by the famous painting by French impressionist-pointillist Georges Seurat - ‘Bathers at Asnières’. The original shows bathers relaxing on the bank of the river Seine. All of them are relaxing, not caring at all about what the other is doing. Roman turns the situation 180 degrees. Although he uses watercolor and not oil, the colors are gentle but more vibrant and aggressive than the original. By giving the bathers weapons Roman unites them and gives them purpose. The picture that we see here also serves as a warning, right now Ukraine is those bathers waiting for the enemy; but this situation can momentarily become a reality for the rest of Europe if Russia is not repelled.