The Theory of Little Joys
The Theory of Little Joys
This theory is rooted in my enduring commitment to the theme of uniting art and everyday life. This theme has interested me for a long time. I am convinced that the moment of their union produces an effect of joy. And so what interests me is the size of happiness. The magnitude of joy. I look at the world in hope of some great joyful event. And yet every day, simple, small joys happen to me. Quick and unnoticed. But they exist. My series of small paintings is a reflection of unnoticed everyday joy.
The paintings are executed on black paper with oil pastels. Each work measures 30 x 20 cm. In this investigation, I have found that I am not alone. A whole constellation of European cultural theorists have devoted their work to this phenomenon. The concept of Walter Benjamin is particularly close to me.
Recall his concept of aura — the unique sensation of presence that arises when contemplating an authentic thing, a landscape, a moment. For Benjamin, small joys are encounters with aura in everyday life: the smell of an old book, a glint of sunlight on a shop window, a chance architectural detail. For him, even the “aimless stroll” of the flâneur was a way of aesthetically appropriating the city, extracting joy from chaos. And this thought resonates very deeply with my own worldview.
Text by Konstantin Evmenev, 2026
