"A Love Letter in the Flesh"
Open at Victoria Olt Gallery from the 4th of January until the 25th of February.
I asked several women to write down their relationship with their body.
I then created individual figure paintings and asked each subject to spend a month with it.
This is how it affected them:
The exhibition was born from a personal experience with my body. Throughout my life, I have encountered comments about not only my own body but also those of others' – whether in magazines, on TV, from friends or even during a family lunch from an aunt. Improper remarks about weight, as well as expressions of admiration when someone loses weight for various reasons, have been constant. Even today, discussions regarding the duties and rights of a woman's body persist, attempting to define its importance and usefulness to society.
Finding tranquility amidst this cacophony can be a daunting task, but art has provided me with solace. After constantly portraying my evolving body on canvas and observing it in the process, my gaze softened as my body became a part of a composition and colors. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized that the same gaze I had while examining the painting had now transferred to my reflection. Condemnation had given way to curiosity, admiration and acceptance.
Undoubtedly, this journey was marked by tears, pain and anger, all of which I shared with my followers. The feedback I received was encouraging, and my vulnerability inspired others to embrace their uniqueness. Women grappling with issues related to their bodies is not a new concept, but the impact of fragility and shared experiences on us, was worth exploring.
Therefore, I posed a question: "Can art affect other women the same way as it affects me?" I hypothesized, "Art possesses the ability to heal our perception of our bodies."
My body and my story represent just one perspective, lacking the diversity that would enrich us. I enlisted several women who willingly became models, each with her own unique story to tell. While I typically emphasize the state of being over appearance in practical life, I asked these women to look at the paintings of themselves every day for a month. Later, I invited them to the studio to record their impressions, ideas, and conclusions.
This exhibition is a compilation of stories, paintings and videos of candid women willing to share their story in an attempt to spark change in the way we perceive ourselves.
Read these women's stories and see their paintings here:
