Stanislava Romanova

When people ask me what inspired me to paint this work, I would usually joke and say that during that period of my life, “I was simply drinking.”

But a manifesto is a serious matter, and there is no room for jokes here.

So I will be honest with you:

I put myself and my own meaning of existence into this painting.

The main figure in the work is also me — a naked Jester, with his soul laid bare, trying to keep a balance between good and evil in search of that very Truth.

For me, the role of the Jester is not simply to entertain society. It is also to reveal the truth through the images I create and transmit.

The hands weaving my own braid are the hands of all the people who have influenced me in one way or another. Some have thickened my braid, making my path easier; others have made it thinner, forcing me to search for balance within myself.

My heart helps illuminate this path.

I believe that learning to align our decisions with our hearts is the only truly right choice for every living being. The heart embodies the motive behind each of my actions.

The chessboard represents life. It reminds me of how fragile we are as beings, and of the fact that we all are equal.

An animal, a human being, an insect, even a stone.

Every manifestation of life is connected by one meaning:

So let us play this great performance called Life!

While the Universe has not yet called us home, let us fill this adventure with meaning.