Doggy Card Masters by Alina Khozhan
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 35 x 25 cm
Year: 2023
Price: $395.00 USD
Status: available
The painting "Card Players" in a parody version features two dogs engaged in a card game at a table. Instead of humans, we see canine characters that showcase their individual traits. The main idea is to transfer human attributes and behaviors to the world of dogs, creating a comedic and unexpected effect. The concept of the work is related to exploring human nature through the lens of the animal world, as well as commenting on socio-cultural aspects such as gambling and alcohol consumption. A deeper analysis of the painting reveals numerous analogies between human and animal customs, provoking thoughts about the interconnection between different forms of life. The underlying message reflects our tendency to project our characteristics onto the animal world and to explore human themes through their depiction in an unusual context. The use of noble and rich colors in this painting serves several purposes. Firstly, such a palette emphasizes the expressiveness of the scene and enhances the emotional impact on the viewer. Bright and saturated colors give the painting liveliness and dynamism, making it more attractive and memorable. Secondly, the use of this color palette underscores the theme and concept of the painting. Finally, the rich colors create contrast and focal points in the composition, helping to draw the viewer's attention to specific details or aspects of the artwork.
Why collect this work?
A bottle placed between two clothed dogs organizes the card game as a study of human social codes translated into animal form. The comedy depends less on caricature than on familiar postures, props and clothing.
- Khozhan states that dogs recur in her practice as a means of addressing compassion and social awareness. In this work, anthropomorphism instead supports a more satirical observation of leisure, gambling and drinking.
- One dog raises yellow cards while the other holds a blue hand near the tabletop. Hats and jackets establish human roles, and the upright bottle divides their opposing profiles at the composition’s centre.
- Catalogued as oil on canvas from 2023, the painting sets bright green, yellow and blue against dominant browns. Dark contours keep the figures, cards and bottle legible within the dense colour contrasts.
- The catalogued 35 by 25 cm format compresses the scene around a few readable gestures. Encountered closely, it permits comparison between canine anatomy and the learned human conventions of dress, recreation and self-presentation.
About the Artist
Alina Khozhan
Alina Khozhan is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Nationality: Kazakh
I explores social issues and the emotional depth of human experience through my artworks.
