Girl and her sea

Andrey Ostashov • Special Issue, 2019
Bronze, granite. 90?35, h=60 cm

A work of profound delicacy in both execution and mood. The mottled, greenish-black patina of the bronze, contrasted with the golden tone of the skin, evokes a cosmic and otherworldly sensation. The girl sits cross-legged; her hands rest upon her knees with fingers posed in the Gyan Mudra—the gesture of knowledge, where the thumb and index finger meet. Her eyes are closed and her face reflects absolute serenity; she is immersed in deep meditation.
The heroine wears a fitted, strapless dress with a long, voluminous skirt and a train that sweeps out behind her. Her attire is completed by knee-high stockings with exposed feet and long gloves with tapering ends that "flow" downward like rivulets of water. Her head is crowned by a massive headpiece that appears as a fantastical extension of the skull, lending her an almost extraterrestrial appearance. One can also observe parallels with creatures of the deep: the smooth, elongated forms and characteristic "tentacles" at the tips evoke the likeness of squids or jellyfish. Large curls of hair, also resembling tentacles, cascade down her body. Ultimately, every element of the image is tied to the sea—even the tiny ship on the hem of her dress seems to sail upon the waves of her boundless maritime world.