Love

(2025)

Oil and mixed media on linen

100 x 80 cm

AUTHOR’S NOTE

My grandparents' lives, as far as I can remember, were full of constant bickering and various squabbles. Like the time when Grandma was mad that the floor was dirty yet again by wet soil dragged inside on the bottom of Granddad’s boots. He didn’t take the time to wipe them completely clean because he was hurrying home for lunch. The one that’s enticingly invited him inside with delicious smells of a hot, home-made meal. She wasn’t actually mad, it was clear that they are happy to be around each other. It’s just the unapologetic honesty and straightforwardness that accompanied them in the endless forest of every-day rituals. The two people that connected by a string of coincidences somehow managed to support each other through the toughest battles that parents can face. The great love story of my life is not at all like the short-lived grand sprints or empty gestures, but rather a long voyage that enables us to reach as far as we are capable of supporting the most significant people in our lives.

DESCRIPTION

"Love" represents a significant evolution in Gil's exploration of Kociewian folk patterns and their contemporary reinterpretation. The composition features intricate, intertwining lines that reference traditional embroidery motifs while creating a dynamic, almost kinetic visual field. The warm ochre and deep indigo palette establishes a dialogue between earth and sky, the rational and the emotional.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The work employs multiple layers of oil paint on Belgian linen, with selective areas incorporating mixed media elements including gold leaf and traditional pigments inspired by the classic palette from the Kociewie region. The surface texture varies from smooth, translucent passages to areas of impasto that create a tactile topography, inviting both visual and physical engagement.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

"Love" examines the tension between traditional representations of emotional bonds in folk art and contemporary experiences of connection. The intertwining lines simultaneously evoke traditional Kociewian marriage symbols and the complex, often fragmented nature of modern relationships. This duality reflects Gil's ongoing investigation of how traditional symbols can be recontextualized to address contemporary emotional experiences.