Zalkar Toktogulov - The Shadow

In this work, I wanted to convey a sense of silence, anticipation, and hidden strength. The bull is not in motion here—he is frozen, as if standing on the edge of a decision, in a moment where outward calmness contradicts the tension within. Most of the space is left empty and dark to create the feeling of a void where sound disappears and time seems to slow down.

The shadow holds special significance. Stretched, distorted, almost a separate entity, it reveals more about the bull than the visible form: within it lies threat, power, and expectation. The red ground beneath him represents energy, warmth, life, and at the same time danger. The contrast of black and red enhances the drama and psychological depth of the scene.

I wanted the viewer to feel how the shadow becomes an extension of the animal’s character—its hidden side, the part of its strength that cannot be seen directly, yet can be sensed.