OLESYA RYBCENKO “MILLING”

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Jul 14
3 min read

Updated: Jul 20

03.07 — 16.07.2025

The title of the project, “Milling,” refers to the latest cycle of paintings begun by the artist in 2021, in which she focuses on the theme of elements of the pictorial field and their potential for emotional impact. Referring to the theoretical and visual practices of Ukrainian artists of the early 20th century, namely Alexander Bogomazov's series of works “Pilari,” the author seeks to find points of contact through the means of art, through constant ritual artistic practices and scientific research.

It is in this context that not only a very similar historical situation—war—becomes apparent, but also a certain need for contemporary artists to “anchor” themselves to previous practices in order to restore the neural connections of the artistic organism. This cyclicality is embedded in our consciousness and has become a universal norm of civilizational cyclicality: constant destruction and restoration.

Understanding the process of comprehension or adaptation through the metaphor of a “milling cutter” is based on the fact that even the deepest rifts can be starting points for something new, creating a therapeutic space for rethinking and hope.

The “Milling” project demonstrates that destruction is not the end. The saw leaves scars, but helps to transform them into symbols of rebirth, where elements of destruction and restoration interact in a single composition. They symbolize wounds, pain, and the process of destruction, which is the central theme of adaptation. The “pulsating” form of the project, which creates an association with living tissue or scars, can be felt as healing... adding depth and symbolizing the shadow of the past, loss, and reflection, it reinforces the duality of the process: on the one hand, destruction, on the other, the possibility of new life.

I believe that painting (as a work of visual codes) is a way of comprehending and understanding an experience or event a little better, as well as an opportunity to talk about one's practice in another language — the visual language.

This project aims to encourage viewers to engage in self-analysis and reflection on their own path through the “inner labyrinth” by means of milling: that is, dividing it into elements, parts, in order to be able to compare the stages of their lives and feel that a way out into the light is possible, even if the path seems confusing and dark.

This project combines art and metaphysics, creating an opportunity for a deep personal experience of “cutting,” which helps to realize that fears and insecurities are only part of the path to greater self-understanding. The smooth, linear, sinuous contours, reminiscent of natural structures (leaves, nerve endings, or veins), appear melted or deformed, hinting at the influence of destruction. The saw and cutter are hidden symbols: the central element of the composition is a pointed, serrated shape reminiscent of saw teeth or cutter cutters. It embodies destruction and, at the same time, the possibility of processing and transforming chaos into a new structure, with the combination of aggressive and gentle movement of the form emphasizing this process.

The author's main goal is to create a platform, a space for dialogue and reflection where recovery and psychological adaptation are possible, bringing people together through creativity.