Victor Karnauh, Guests, Oil on Cardboard

Guests. Oil on cardboard 86x105 cm

The painting presents a vibrant and lively scene, using bright colors to create an engaging and cheerful atmosphere. The composition features a woman on the left side of the canvas, standing with her back to the viewer. She is captured in the act of pinning up her hair, which adds a casual and intimate feel to the scene. Her posture suggests a moment of pause and contemplation as she gazes at the group of people gathered in front of her.

In the foreground, one of the group members is prominently depicted offering something to woman. This figure's gesture appears welcoming and generous, suggesting a scene of hospitality or a shared moment among friends or family. The bright colors used in the painting—vivid reds, yellows, blues, and greens—enhance the joyful and warm mood, making the scene feel festive and inviting.

The overall composition is well-balanced, with the central focus on the interaction between the woman and the person offering (something), while the rest of the group adds depth and context to the scene.

Victor Karnauh (1950-2012)

Victor Karnaukh (1950, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR – 2012, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) – a painter, a monument designer, graduate of Latvian Academy of Arts. He had painted a multitude of interiors, including church plafonds and public buildings. His works are kept in private collections in the USA, Europe and Russia.

In 1966 Karnaukh enrolled into the Dnepropetrovsk Art Academy and graduated from it in 1970 (final work "Fair"). He served in the in 1970-1972 in the Air Defence Forces. After finishing his service he deliberately chose Latvian State Academy of Arts as the place to continue his studies.

In 1973 he enrolled into the Deprtment of Painting of the Latvian State Academy of Arts. In 1979 he finished the class of monumental painting (his final work "Everyday Life of Fishermen" was painted in the technique of encaustic painting).

Victor Karnaukh had been participating in exhibitions since 1976. In 1978 he became a member of the Union of Artists of Latvian SSR, in 1982 he received membership in the Union of Artists of the USSR. from 1985 to 1990 he had been participating in an international project of designing a modern residential area Olvenschtedt in Magdeburg (Eastern Germany). The fall of socialism in Eastern Germany did not allow him to finish this project. However, Karnaukh continued to work in Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, England. For many years he had been working in the USA, where he cooperated with different art galleries, but most of all with GUNNAR NORDSTROM GALLERY in Seatle (the state of Washington).