Solitude has always been present in Jenya Datsko’s work, even before she could name it. It’s a theme that has followed her throughout her practice. At the beginning, it appeared almost unconsciously, when she was painting the connection between wild nature and human nature.
That early work came from a kind of escape, a step away from noise.
Later, Jenya brought her protagonist into crowded places, busy scenes, social environments. And even there, the solitude stayed, but it shifted, It became more about the inner balance, the quiet space a person carries within themselves, even when surrounded by movement and people.
For Jenya, solitude isn’t separation, it’s an internal state, something that lives inside the figure rather than around her.
She reflects on how women today are creating their own definitions of independence. It’s no longer loud or heroic, it’s quiet, intentional, sometimes messy. There’s a lot of movement between connection and distance, choosing when to be part of the world and when to step away.
In Jenya’s work, this shows up in both single figures and crowded scenes, a still moment where a woman is deciding her own direction.
She tries to paint that inner shift, the strength that doesn’t need to be announced.
“THERE ARE DAYS WHEN SOLITUDE IS A HEADY WINE THAT INTOXICATES YOU WITH FREEDOM…”
Jenya also shares a quote she loves, often attributed to Colette.
Solitude, for her, is an inner state where creativity emerges, both challenging and liberating.