Yaroslav Ponomarenko (1982) - Orange and White

In Orange and White, Yaroslav Ponomarenko brings together a vivid orange and a delicate white butterfly in a composition defined by restraint and contrast. Set against a deep teal ground, the fruit becomes a rich, luminous presence, its surface rendered with remarkable attention to colour, texture and light.

The butterfly introduces a sense of fragility and movement. Suspended beside the fruit, its pale wings create a quiet counterpoint to the saturated warmth of the orange, while the slender stem and surrounding leaves extend the composition vertically.

There is a subtle tension between stillness and transformation. The orange suggests weight, ripeness and materiality, while the butterfly evokes transience and ephemerality. Ponomarenko holds these opposing qualities within a remarkably simple composition, allowing the relationship between colour, light and natural form to carry the work.

The result is a contemporary still life that feels both intimate and quietly surreal, where the familiar becomes momentarily strange.

Signed by the artist on the reverse.


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Yaroslav Ponomarenko (b. 1982, Kharkiv, Ukraine) is a contemporary painter whose practice is grounded in the technical discipline and visual language of European Old Master traditions.

Trained at the Kharkiv Art Lyceum and later at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv, Ponomarenko developed a rigorous approach to drawing, composition, and pictorial structure. His work reflects an ongoing engagement with historical methods, informed by extended study of classical painting techniques and the material processes of European schools.

Working primarily within still life and symbolic composition, he focuses on the precise observation of natural forms, often isolating modest subjects and rendering them with a heightened sense of clarity and restraint. Light and tonal construction play a central role in his practice, allowing objects to emerge gradually from subdued atmospheric grounds.

Alongside his studio work, Ponomarenko has been active as an educator, contributing to the transmission of classical techniques through structured teaching and research. This dual engagement with practice and pedagogy informs a body of work that is both technically exacting and conceptually measured.

His paintings situate themselves within a contemporary revival of classical realism, where historical continuity is approached not as imitation, but as a disciplined and evolving language.

Yaroslav Ponomarenko is represented by Havisham & Co., where his paintings are introduced to collectors through curated sales and selected auction placements.

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Havisham & Co.

Havisham & Co. is a London-based fine art agency representing contemporary artists whose work engages with heritage, symbolism, and classical craftsmanship. The agency facilitates the placement of original artworks through curated sales, private transactions, and selected international auction platforms.

Instagram: @havishamco
Website: www.havishamco.com
Email: info@havishamco.com

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