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Blue Leopard (2024) Painting by Oleksandr Balbyshev
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About the artwork
This painting reimagines the ancient ouroboros symbol—a serpent consuming its own tail—within the context of contemporary queer identity. The central figure, part human and part leopard, wields a long, serpentine tail that loops through and beyond the borders of the canvas. The tail defies containment, weaving unpredictably across the composition, until its very end is gripped firmly in the figure’s own hand.
The tail in “Blue Leopard” becomes a powerful metaphor for self-possession: the cyclical nature of self-discovery, the fluidity of desire, and the unending journey of owning one’s identity. For queer individuals, particularly in a world that often imposes conformity and restraint, reclaiming control over one’s narrative is both an act of courage and defiance. The leopard—wild, unapologetic, and sensual—embodies the raw instinct to break free from imposed boundaries, even when faced with fear or rejection.
The vivid, surreal palette transforms the scene into a dreamlike space where identity and desire intertwine and boundaries blur. The tail’s unpredictable presence throughout the canvas mirrors the omnipresence of instinct and longing, often hidden but never absent. By gripping its own tail, the figure asserts autonomy, turning chaos into a declaration of pride and self-acceptance.
“Blue Leopard” explores the cyclical journey of queer selfhood—a journey filled with freedom, repression, and rediscovery. It is a celebration of queer resilience, sensuality, and authenticity, while also confronting the complexities of identity and the struggle to embrace every part of oneself.
This painting invites viewers to reflect on their own inner conflicts and triumphs, and to celebrate the beauty of living unapologetically and embracing the wild, untamed parts of themselves.
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Related themes
Oleksandr Balbyshev is a contemporary Ukrainian artist. The most important themes in Balbyshev’s art are male sexuality and sensuality. Artist wants the viewer to see the realm of ideas in faces and bodies, not only a realistic image of a human. He tries to combine in his paintings realities, as visions of worlds within worlds. They show us an image of ourselves and also hint that there is more to us than we know.
Oleksandr Balbyshev is famous for transforming classical Soviet-era portraits of Lenin into highly decorative and chaotic works of art. Artist finds original portraits and sculptures of Lenin made in the Soviet era on flea markets and on announcements on the Internet. He paints on top of old portraits of Lenin fragments from famous paintings or drip paint on them, cut the canvases into pieces and glue them in a chaotic manner, let them paint them for children, he paints the sculptures in funny colors and glues them with various objects. As a result of this artistic gesture, the artist erases the propaganda and ideological meanings of the image, at the same time endowing it with decorative qualities. However, with all the fun of this manipulation, the artwork acquires new meanings, an antinomical combination of play and seriousness, prompting the viewer to go beyond the accepted paradigm.
Oleksandr Balbyshev was born in 1985 in Ukraine. His paintings are in private collections in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, , Netherlands, , Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Croatia, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Mexico, and Japan.
- Nationality: UKRAINE
- Date of birth : 1985
- Artistic domains:
- Groups: Ukrainian Contemporary Artists
Oleksandr Balbyshev, bright paintings 
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