Artist Statement

Using art history as an iconographic treasure trove, rethinking it anachronistically, and reflecting on the history of painting are key elements of my practice. Culture, legacies, history, and tradition function as a fountain of vitality, an energetic spring that we drink as a source of symbols and meaning. I am drawn to subject matters which can be read as the pillars of civilization: rites and tradition, systems of belief and religion, conceptions of good and evil just as the forms in which they are passed down, including myths, folklore, poetry. Eastern and Western European legacies such as Greco- Roman mythology, Christian-orthodox iconography and biblical re- imaginings, historical paintings, and depictions of female figures are constituent parts of my visual language.
Through re-appropriating archetypes like the muse, the goddess, the mother, the temptress, and the witch, my works illustrate and reclaim female power within its long history of oppression. This allows an exploration into the passed-down heritage that shapes the European present-day female collective psyche.
A further interest that can be found in my practice is the obsessive relationship between art and beauty. Within my work, vulnerability becomes a catalyst for liberation, allowing motifs and ideas of beauty to transcend their oppressive origins.

Combining various timelines and cultural contexts in the form of figurative painting is the underpinning of my artistic practice. My painterly language consists of a complex web of art historical references such as Fauvism, Feminist art, Symbolism, Renaissance painting, and Christian-orthodox icon making. I also merge painting with sculpture, installation, photography, and etching. Some of my pieces are for instance made out of delicate materials such as ungrounded fabrics, thin papers, and by using experimental methods of applying textures and pigments. Others are created using time-resistant techniques such as oxidizing and engraving brass.
Through the use of techniques inspired by classical and modern approaches, the art historical female figure is bewitched and bestowed with a new form of meaning.