Oil painting Enjoying the Pomegranate Fruit Igor Konovalov

№Kon 140

The oil painting on canvas titled "Enjoying the Pomegranate Fruit" is a vibrant and surreal depiction of one of nature’s most luscious and symbolic fruits. At first glance, the composition appears to be a still life, yet upon closer inspection, it transforms into an imaginative and otherworldly vision where the organic and the abstract blend seamlessly. At the center of the painting, a pomegranate, partially broken open, rests on a dark blue surface. Its thick, textured skin, a deep shade of red-orange, contrasts with the glistening ruby-like seeds that spill out in abundance. The rich, almost translucent seeds catch the light, reflecting highlights that give them a jewel-like quality. The fractured sections of the fruit reveal the intricate natural architecture within, with pale, fibrous membranes separating the clustered seeds. The level of detail in rendering the textures—both the smooth, taut skin of the fruit and the juicy, bulbous seeds—creates a highly tactile visual experience, making the pomegranate seem almost tangible. The realism of the fruit is disrupted by the presence of surreal floating molecular-like entities, scattered throughout the painting. These small, rounded figures, composed of interconnected spheres and soft appendages, hover in midair around the pomegranate, almost like living organisms interacting with the fruit. Their glossy, metallic surfaces reflect light, adding an ethereal and futuristic contrast to the otherwise classical still-life setting. The presence of these abstract elements transforms the scene into something beyond reality, suggesting themes of transformation, chemical processes, or even the microscopic life forces within food itself. The background consists of a muted yet luminous blue sky framed by a soft architectural structure, possibly a window or doorway. The interplay between indoor and outdoor space adds depth to the composition, while the sky’s brilliant blue contrasts harmoniously with the deep reds of the pomegranate. Light enters the scene from the left, casting shadows and highlights that enhance the dimensionality of the composition. The setting evokes an atmosphere of quiet indulgence, as if someone has just begun savoring the fruit, leaving a few seeds scattered on the table. The stillness of the composition is juxtaposed with the movement implied by the floating abstract forms, creating a dynamic tension between the organic and the artificial.

*** ABOUT THIS PAINTING ***
* TITLE: "Enjoying the Pomegranate Fruit"
* ARTISTS: Igor Konovalov
* SIZE: 100x120 cm/'39.37x47.24 inches'
* MEDIUM: oil, canvas
* HAND PAINTED: Original painting from our collection
* CONDITION: we tried to convey the maximum information with the help of photos about this product

About the artist: He was born in 1965 in the city of Novy Bug.

1983—1987 — Dnipropetrovsk State Art School.

1987—1993 — Kyiv State Art Institute.

Since 1993, co-founder of the art commune "Squat on Olehivska Street", the activity of which has two periods:

1993—1996 — "classic squat" (occupation of premises for workshops and housing, exhibition activity, as a practice of introduction into society).

1996-2006 — "fictitious squat" (author of the project — Fiction Gallery Expedition. — going beyond workshops and galleries (institutions) into open urban space.

The founder of the Hill-art direction (art on the hills), within the framework of which actions were held and facilities were created on the hills of Kyiv.

2010-2020 - develops the author's mythology, which he called "Infodelica".

The creator of paintings, promotions, objects and video art.

Lives and works in Kyiv.

EXHIBITIONS

Personal exhibitions:

2020 - Recreation room, Kyiv History Museum, Kyiv

2019 - "Voices", CSM "Soviart", Kyiv

2018 - "Two Pages", Kyiv History Museum, Kyiv

2017 - "Point of support", CSM "Soviart", Kyiv

2016 – "Presidency", CSM "Soviart", Kyiv

2016 - "Relax", CSM "Soviart", Kyiv

2015 – "Wi-Fi", DTEK Academy, business center "Eurasia", Kyiv

2013 - "Infa&infadelika", 8-bit Gallery, Kyiv

2012 - "Infa", Gallery "Forest", Moscow, Russia

2011 - "Infa", RA Gallery, Kyiv

2010 – I. Konovalov, Museum of Sovr. image of Arts of Ukraine (MSIIU), Kyiv

2009 – "Golden Mountains", RA Gallery, Kyiv

2008 - Ctrl-Z, RA Gallery, Kyiv

Group exhibitions:

2020 – ART CAPITAL, Grand Palais, Paris. Salon Comparaisons, groupe Alain Campello

2017 - "Squat on Olehivska Street", Sumy Municipal Gallery, Sumy

2015 – Museum collections, Ukrainian modern art. (1985-2015)

2015 – "Coefficient of independence" (America House), Kyiv

2015 - "Art for the sake of life" - charity project, "Art Arsenal", Kyiv

2014 - The 21st nude art exhibition "MAN & WOMAN", At the Museum of New Art, Pärnu, Estonia

2012 - "Squat on Olehivska Street", M17 Center of Contemporary Art, Kyiv

2012 - Art-Moscow, 16th International Art Fair, Moscow, Russia

2011 - "Independents", New art of the new country 1991-2011, "Art Arsenal", Kyiv

2011 – "Space Odyssey-2011", "Art Arsenal", Kyiv

2010 - Art project "AUT" - international art project, Chocolate House, Kyiv

Press:

• Catalog for a personal exhibition: I. Konovalov, Museum of Modern Fine Arts of Ukraine (MSIIU), "Infa", "Forest" Gallery

• The book "Squat on Olehivska Street" (1993 - 2015), Kyiv

• Collection of the Museum of Ukrainian Modern Art 1985–2015 from private collections

25 years of presence. Modern Ukrainian artists. 1991-2016, Kyiv

• Collection of catalogs of participation in numerous exhibitions and auctions

Works are located:

• Dnipropetrovsk Art Museum

• Museum of Modern Fine Arts of Ukraine (MSIIU)

• Kyiv History Museum

• In private meetings: Boris and Tetyana Hrynievych, Igor Voronov, Igor Abramovich, Oleg Krasnosilskyi, Volodymyr Kashirskyi, and others.