The Language of Silence
— Alexei Butirskiy
Water as Memory
Block 2
(the silence of water — a mirror where time lingers) - water remembers differently than stone. It doesn’t hold a shape — it dissolves it, turning it into reflections and movement. Here, a pause is not emptiness, but the breath between waves. Morning in the harbor, boats resting side by side, sun-warmed planks scented with salt — all flow into one slow rhythm where past and present move together. In this silence there is no call to hurry; it teaches you to notice what usually slips by and to treasure the minutes that can hold the weight of an entire day.
Boat (Hope)
Oil on Canvas | 9” x 13”
The word “HOPE” seems faded from sun and time, but has not lost its power. The boat rests in the water as if it knows: waiting is also part of the journey. The surrounding silence is not empty, but filled with the breath of the sea, which promises that every pause has meaning.
Boats
Oil on Canvas | 10” x 17”
The boats stand side by side, like people bound by a shared history, yet each with its own anchor, its own depth. There is no bustle between them — only acceptance of each other’s silence. This is the moment when you understand: closeness is not constant conversation, but the ability to be quiet together.
Monopoli Morning
Oil on Canvas | 12” x 18”
Morning in the port is the time when everything is only preparing to come alive. The water is as light as breath after sleep, and in this light there is not a hint of haste. Here you can linger, inhale more deeply, feel the taste of simple moments — and realize that these moments are the true luxury.
Midsummer Evening
Oil on Canvas | 32” x 20”
A summer evening washes away the excess, leaving only the breath of water and quiet voices drifting from the depths of the streets. The silence here is cool, like a light wind after a hot day. It does not call for loud events — it gives the feeling that everything has already happened, and you can simply be.
Harbor of Dreams
Oil on Canvas | 18” x 24”
Twilight lights small fires in the windows, and the water carefully holds their reflections. Everything looks as if the outer and inner have finally aligned. You are here not because you happened to arrive, but because this is your place. And silence becomes the confirmation that everything has come together.
Sunlight Pier
Watercolor
The pier stretches into the light as if into a memory. The boards are warmed by the sun and smell of salt and time. This is a place where you can sit and fully take in what is already near, instead of constantly searching into the distance. The silence here is not empty — it is full of what we usually pass by.
Alexei Butirskiy
Alexei Butirskiy Is a classically trained artist who studied at one of the world’s most prestigious art schools — the Russian Academy of Arts. His years of formal, academic training laid the foundation for his mastery, shaping him into a painter with a deep understanding of composition, light, and form.
In his work, Alexei blends the discipline of academic tradition with a philosophical view of the world. His paintings are never just depictions of cities or people — they’re visual reflections on
presence, on the quiet moments hidden inside the rhythm of modern life, on the kind of silence you can feel even in a city that never stops moving.
Landscapes & People