Anastasia Kuznetsova-RufOctopus, 2013 · For sale
(from the “From the HOLIDAY to the HOLIDAY” series)
Canvas, charcoal pencil, tempera · 145 × 105 cm · Russia

The painting portrays a girl, standing amidst the bathroom's damp confines, enfolding a chilly, waterlogged octopus in her arms. It vividly embodies the adage, "Love is blind".

In the routine of our daily lives, genuine love can often feel scarce. It gets supplanted by trivial self-interest and the routine display of personal pride. Yet, its allure is so potent that at times, we're willing to interpret even basic physiological responses as gestures of affection. The octopus, however, responds with nothing more than simple muscular reflexes to the warm caress of the woman, which she, in her longing, misconstrues as fervent passion.