The First Hour of War

Painted in 2001, “The First Hour of War” conveys the shock, confusion, and emotional rupture of a world suddenly thrown into violence. Fragmented figures, sharp directional marks, and flashes of intense color create a sense of instability and urgency. Rather than depicting a specific battle, Ostapenko focuses on the human experience of the first moment when ordinary life is transformed by conflict. The composition becomes a powerful reflection on fear, destruction, and the fragility of order.