Artwork Description:
When I approached Kostya to paint his portrait, he was preparing for another fight in America, had no time for Art. I can say that I sat for him, more than he sat for me.
I sat for days, to observe him training, and to get an insight into his mind and his character.
What I saw at work was the Tszyu Machine, ego and personality having disappeared.
No smile, no emotion of any kind. Only complete concentration in the moment.
One day, after a training session, I told him that whenever I saw him sparring, his concentrated energy and his way to unleash it in split-second srikes, reminded me of a leopard or a tiger: 'When I started boxing, I used to observe cats,' he answered.
I did two portraits of him. One to show his warmth and his humour, this one to show his resolve and his strength. The golden background with coins was added later, to show his business mind.