Leonard Železo - This could’ve been us

Leonard Železo transforms a social-media trope into a quietly unsettling portrait. Under classical studio lighting, two greyhounds stand draped in patterned scarves and tinted lenses, their stiff poses exposing an absurd cruelty. Drawing on his own queer experience, the artist sees himself in their unhappy faces, pressed into roles they never chose, and invites us to share in their discomfort.

By elevating these Instagram snapshots into solemn oil paintings, Železo asks viewers to confront the silent suffering behind staged performance. The dogs become stand-ins for our own awkwardness, reminding us that dignity and unease often walk side by side—even when we don’t ask to be seen.

This piece was featured in Best of AVU, Summer 2025 at HIDDEN Gallery—a curated showcase of standout works by emerging students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague.