Pavel Guliaev describes his paintings as “subject realism,” a world that is wholly his yet invites viewers to conjure their own meanings. Shifting planes, along with figures and objects belonging to no specific time or place, are qualities that seem to exist across all of Guliaev’s work. The result is a scene both dreamlike and visceral.
“In my paintings, I unite realism and symbolism, and at the same time, the reflection of reality occurs through the use of symbolic elements that complement and, perhaps, explain reality,” the artist explains. “Reality is processed at a subconscious level and becomes subjective. Unconsciously arising images and forms allow to strengthen the emotional and semantic loading of the picture. With superficial illogicality, everything is built on an internal logical basis. I unite the physical and metaphysical world.”
Find more paintings on the artist’s site.
As a young girl, artist 
Human artifacts and animals fill the subdued oil paintings of 