A stroke of a pastel pencil, then another line – powdery, soft yet assertive – and yet another, luminous, and Nikolaï Tessenkov’s world opens up to us — real, yet mysterious. Here, one feels the urge to lose oneself in his cities with their vibrant and marvellous architecture, shrouded in mist and dusted with snow. Suddenly, a pink line brings forth flowers resembling tousled hair, which evoke the improvisation of a jazz composition. And somewhere, in ancient worlds, lies a young naked body: two textures clash – the softness of the pastel and the stiffness of the newspaper, beauty and transience, yellowed by time… Nikolai Tesenkov’s pastel lines evoke the flesh, sensual dishes, and drinks to be savoured in small groups, yet it is also a matter of spirituality and silence. His bubbles and carefully arranged little vials remind us, for a fleeting moment, of Morandi’s bottles, but in Nikolai’s work, these are fragile, wavering vessels that present themselves to us, like women in a magical atmosphere, and their sensual, elegant presence captivates us when we encounter them face to face. Nikolai’s painting is a hymn to colour, to the exchange of feelings and emotions. It is a hymn to life, come what may!