Eye Sea Gallery

Deformation is not just a physical process where a solid body loses its original shape under external forces. It is also a metaphor for everything we endure in a world where pressure, external factors, burdens, and circumstances force us to adapt, change, break, and recover. Deformation is a constant movement, a search for new forms that lack stability, as every new moment has the potential to disrupt the fragile balance we’ve found.

Focusing on our intuitive reactions to the surrounding environment, Roman Mykhailov attempts to convey the impending nature of change—something we cannot yet fully comprehend but can already sense in the air. Through forms, colors, and textures that seem to shift under the influence of invisible forces, the artist invites the viewer to experience this ongoing process of transformation and deformation.

We typically associate “pressure” with a physical force, where materials—whether a metal rod or a fragile stone—change shape under external influence. But there is another, equally powerful type of pressure: the pressure of circumstances. This is an imperceptible yet inevitable force exerted by the external world, where political, economic, or social changes compel us to adapt, often at the cost of losing our original form. In this struggle, we reveal our ability to change, move, and seek new answers.

The search for form under such unstable conditions inevitably leads to fluid deformation. In a constantly shifting world, there are no clear or immutable answers—only ever-emerging new questions. Within this movement, there are no stable lines or angles; everything adapts to the forces at play. Deformation becomes an integral part of existence itself—driven not by inertia, but in response to external pressure. It is an ongoing search for a new form that ensures not only physical integrity but also inner resilience.

Under continuous pressure, broken forms may transform into new ones, but they never return to their original state. Deformation is not an endpoint; it is a process of searching for a new shape that aligns with the conditions we find ourselves in. Perhaps, in this perpetual movement, we find the essence of our existence—in adapting to change, in enduring pressure, and in discovering a new equilibrium.

Roman Mykhailov (b. 1989) is a Ukrainian artist, graphic artist, and installation creator. He was born in Kharkiv and studied easel painting at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. A member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (since 2010), he has participated in numerous group exhibitions and projects, including:

• III Odesa Biennale of Contemporary Art (2013)
• I Am a Drop in the Ocean, Vienna (2014)
• Paper. Light. Art., Kyiv (2015)
• Resentment, Vilnius (2015)
• Ukraine – Scene Libre Festival, Paris (2015)
• Only Now Only Never, F.A.C.E. Foundation (2018)
• Permanent Revolution, Ludwig Museum, Budapest (2018)

He was nominated for the Best Installation Award at Saatchi Gallery, London (2015) and the PinchukArtCentre Prize (2015, 2018). Mykhailov lives and works in Kyiv.

The exhibition “Deformations” by Roman Mikhailov is on display at Eye Sea Gallery from March 20 to April 23, 2025.