Gallery Catalogue

The New World

Created during the artist's first year of painting, The New World represents both an imagined landscape and the beginning of a personal artistic journey. Inspired by the atmospheric fantasy landscapes of Viktor Yushkevich, the work depicts towering cliffs, luminous water and distant mountains emerging through drifting mist.

Although influenced by another artist's compositional language, the painting already reveals qualities that would become central to the artist's later work: an emphasis on light as the emotional centre of the composition, a fascination with tranquil landscapes, and a preference for atmosphere over narrative. In hindsight, the title becomes unexpectedly autobiographical—not only describing the imagined scene, but marking the discovery of painting itself.