RED UMBRELLA. THE BEGINNING

Black and red: from the calm of tradition to the fire of impulse, from stillness to movement, from the past to the pulse of tomorrow.

ECHOES OF A CENTURY

Beneath the red umbrella, I return—where the red hues guide me, and the sacred light draws me from shadow into awakening.
Marina Lazarus

The square = feeling, the white field = the void beyond this feeling.
Kazimir Malevich

I AM NOT MALEVICH.
I AM LAZARUS.
I RETURN.

This is Lazarus' Red Umbrella vs. Malevich's Black & Red Squares — my ongoing project. As a photographer, I am bound by a code that prohibits the use of any pre-existing images. I cannot borrow or appropriate; I must create from the ground up. This constraint led me to paint my own Red & Black Square, a direct engagement with Malevich's foundational work, but one that asserts my voice and presence.

This is my first painting as an adult. A significant departure from photography, yet the act of painting feels like a natural extension of my artistic dialogue. The choice of white paper as a backdrop is not accidental. It functions as a film — a blank canvas of potential — on which my Red & Black Square is not static but in constant movement, just as my project is in perpetual evolution. I see this square as a symbol of the tension between creation and destruction, the fixed and the fluid.

 Do you remember the Twin Paradox, a thought experiment in special relativity? One of them embarks on the rocket ship and travels almost at the speed of light; the other stays on Earth. The twin on a space journey ages less. My creative soul is ambivalent. The part of me that wanders beyond the Earth remains a child — this is the painting of a 4- or 5-year-old.

But in photography, I perceive space: behind every shape, I see a feeling.

I confront the legacy of Malevich, not as a follower, but as Lazarus—returning from the conceptual death of a tradition, ready to breathe new life into it. The Red & Black Squares presented here are not merely an homage; they are a space where time bends, where color and form stretch into the future, challenging the boundaries of art itself. Through these simple yet profound shapes, I seek to capture the essence of movement and the evolving human experience.

I chose to return to Malevich's Red & Black Squares, not as a mere reproduction, but as a reinterpretation. Instead, I offer a new vision—one that challenges the static nature of the square and breathes movement into it. This project becomes my rebirth, my return to creation, and the Red Umbrella stands as the defining symbol of this journey.

The Red Umbrella, juxtaposed against the Red & Black Squares, becomes the anchor of my work. It is a symbol of resilience and transformation. In its most basic form, an umbrella is a shield—a protector against the elements, sheltering what it covers. Yet, in my interpretation, it represents more than mere protection; it embodies the act of holding space and confronting the world with a new perspective.

The color red, present in both the umbrella and the square, is the heartbeat of the work. It signifies urgency and passion, as well as strength and vulnerability. It is the force that drives movement within the square, pushing it beyond its static frame.

The Red & Black Square, when coupled with the Red Umbrella, challenges the notion of fixed forms. It becomes a living, moving entity, forever evolving, just as my work is not confined to a singular moment or aesthetic. Like Lazarus, I emerge from the past carrying the promise of something new—something transformative.