Painting by D. Kalniņš – Kisses of the Milky Way

Painting: “Kisses of the Milky Way”

Technique: Oil + Acrylic on canvas
Size: 134x151cm
Year: 2018

Artistic perspective

Kisses of the Milky Way – Dzintars Kalniņš’s painting opens up a world to the viewer where the path of stars merges with the path of human life. It is a space where the dark expanses of the universe intertwine with warm flesh tones, creating the mood that humans and stardust are made of the same – the eternal substance of creation.

The figures, shaped in flowing, hazy outlines, as if created from the whiteness of mother's milk and the light of the stars together, remind us that we are all mammals – we begin our lives with the Milky Way, with the first touch and kiss that is born between the mother's body and the child. And perhaps throughout our lives we are not really able to tear ourselves away from this Milky Way – from the longing for acceptance, warmth and closeness that shapes us as a species and as individuals.

Interpretation of the name

The title “Milky Way kisses” tells a story on several layers. It is both about the Milky Way galaxy, where every star can become a kiss of silence and light, and about the human world itself, where love and touch are our Milky Way – a path that begins with a mother’s breast and never ends in its deepest sense.

These kisses are like the gentle touch of the universe to each of us – simultaneously reminding us of how insignificant we are, and yet confirming that it is this fragile closeness that is the greatest force that holds the world and galaxies together.

Shapes and structure

The painting balances between figurative and abstract. The figures, made fluid and light in oil textures, merge with the dark background, as if they were still in the process of birth – the vibration of a creature emerging between non-existence and existence. The brushstrokes and layering of paint create an effect of depth and cosmic space, where warm flesh colors meet dark, endless blue-gray tones.

This harmony of contrasts creates a vibration – like the birth of new stars in the far reaches of the Milky Way or like a child's first breath on earth.

Context and time of creation

Created in 2018, the painting “Milky Way kisses” embodies Dzintars Kalniņš’s ability to connect the intimate world of man with the cosmic and eternal. It reminds us that we are mammals who dream of the stars, and creatures of the stars who yearn again and again for the safety and silent infinity of our mother’s Milky Way.

This work is a call to remember that love and intimacy are both our beginning and galactic nature – the eternal path to which we return, no matter how far we go.

View painting

To view an image of the painting, please visit this Instagram link:
Instagram – Milky Way kisses

About the author

Read more about Dzintars Kalniņš here.