Scent of Power

Description provided by artist:

"This work was commissioned by a perfume collector who requested a piece in my signature style, but with an emphasis on aroma. I recalled seeing Putin's signature perfume online, created in Russia. Inspired by this, I created a piece that exposes the thirst for power through political propaganda's creation of a totalitarian, impersonal society, reminiscent of the faceless soldiers in Alexander Volkov's Oorfene Deuce or the dystopian characters of Zamyatin and Orwell.

The painting depicted Putin without a military helmet, surrounded by identical figures. The collector declined the work, and it remained in my workshop for four years. With the onset of the full-scale war, the piece's significance grew. The addition of military paraphernalia in 2022 further emphasized my interpretation of the "Aroma of Power," portraying the bloody dictator of our time."

Oil on canvas.