Al MaLe
Contemporary artist from St.Petersburg
My artistic practice is primarily a tool for experiencing the strongest emotions that I cannot endure or reinterpret without a brush and canvas. The images in my paintings arise in response to inner experiences. Thanks to these images, I get to know myself better, feel out my boundaries, and find reconciliation between the dark and light aspects of my soul.
At this stage, my art is egocentric: I accumulate experiences about myself, seek suitable ways of interacting with the outside world, and establish my boundaries. In doing so, I reveal my heroines. But I do this not for eroticization, but from a desire to discard all that is unnecessary, to be honest, open, vulnerable, and not distracted from the essence. For me, the essence is to show the hurricane force of emotions and the dual nature of the human soul. To show without judgment or condemnation.
I paint from states familiar to every person: the loss of a loved one or oneself, the search for hope and support, the search for a way to live one’s life and answer the questions “can or cannot,” “good or bad.” In my works, I honestly share the answers I find and the questions that remain. I consider honesty to be the fundamental quality that distinguishes my painting.
Just as it distinguishes my life in general.