The first time you stand in front of a Vasily Bratash composition at full size, the technique reads before the image does. Sharp black ink, a dry felt-tip marker, repetition that looks methodical until it starts to feel obsessive. The figure or scene emerges almost reluctantly out of the dense field of marks, as if the artist were uncovering it rather than drawing it. That impression is correct. Bratash works in subtraction as much as in addition.

This is the artist whose work has anchored the ULISS portfolio since the company was founded, and whose archive of more than 200 original compositions, made between 2015 and 2025, forms the core of what we represent. This article is a close read of that practice for collectors and curators who are considering acquisition.

The technique, in plain language

Bratash works primarily on paper and prepared canvas, using black ink applied with brush, felt-tip markers in a controlled palette (most often black and one or two accent colours), and occasional touches of gouache or graphite. The compositions are built up layer by layer. Each mark is deliberate, each layer commits the work further, and the artist does not generally rework a piece once it is past a certain density. There is no underpainting, no preparatory sketch reproduced at scale. The work happens in front of the page.

The motifs are recognisably conceptualist. Architectural fragments, figures rendered in cubist faceting, mechanical diagrams, fragments of text in three languages, mathematical notation that is sometimes accurate and sometimes not. The vocabulary is consistent across the fifteen-year practice, but the syntax has shifted.

Three phases collectors should know

2015–2018: Early ink studies

Smaller-format works on heavy paper, mostly monochrome. The figure dominates, often a single character drawn in a single sustained gesture. These are the works closest to traditional drawing in the practice, and they are the most accessible entry point for a collector building a position. The technical control is already complete; the conceptual layering had not yet thickened to its current density.

2019–2022: Architectural and mechanical compositions

Larger formats. The figure starts to compete with built environments. Bratash develops the dense field-of-marks technique that has defined his work since, applying repeated diagonal hatching to suggest both volume and decay. Several of the strongest pieces from this phase are in private collections in Belgrade and Moscow, and three are part of the ULISS reserved archive.

2023–2025: Mature conceptualist work

The largest and most ambitious pieces. The mark-making has reached its full density. Compositions now routinely combine figure, architecture, machine and text in single planes that read almost like circuit diagrams of a consciousness. These are the works that most directly demonstrate why “conceptualist” is the right word for the practice, and they are the works most often referenced when the practice is described.

The figure or scene emerges almost reluctantly out of the dense field of marks, as if the artist were uncovering it rather than drawing it. That impression is correct. Bratash works in subtraction as much as in addition.

What collectors look at first

From inside the gallery, here is what experienced collectors do when they spend time with a Bratash work for the first time.

  • They check the density. The strongest Bratash compositions hold a balance between dense passages and sparse passages. Pieces where the whole surface is uniformly dense or uniformly sparse are usually transitional.
  • They check the line. The felt-tip lines are made in single sustained gestures. A wavering or hesitant line is rare and is itself a clue about the date of the work and the moment in the practice.
  • They check the text. Fragments of writing appear across the practice in Russian, English and occasionally French. The text is not decorative. It is part of the image. Collectors who read Russian sometimes report finding a different work after they have parsed the text.
  • They check the edges. Bratash treats the edges of his compositions with particular discipline. A piece where the marks crowd the edge is making a different statement than a piece where the field opens out.

Market context

Bratash sits in a category that is meaningful for collectors thinking about portfolio building: a contemporary conceptualist with a fully documented fifteen-year practice, a coherent visual identity, an existing collector base across at least three countries, and primary-market prices that are accessible relative to artists with comparable practice and exhibition records. The market is not deep enough to support pure speculation, which is part of why ULISS represents the practice rather than trading it.

How to look at the work

If you are visiting the work in person, give a single composition at least four minutes before forming a judgment. The first impression is the technique. The second is the figure. The third, usually, is the text. Most collectors only see the work that is actually present at the fourth or fifth pass.

If you are looking at images, the works do not photograph well at small size. The mark density that defines the practice flattens into noise when reduced. Request high-resolution scans or in-person viewing for any piece you are seriously considering.

Acquiring a Bratash work

The Bratash archive is offered through ULISS under three structures: direct acquisition with full provenance documentation, gallery consignment for established institutions, and long-term lease for hospitality and corporate placements. A reserved selection is held back from public viewing for serious collector inquiries.

If you would like to see the full catalogue, including currently unreleased pieces from the 2023–2025 phase, the contact form is the way in.