Stanislava Kovalcikova

Stanislava Kovalcikova comes from Slovakia. Her paintings enter a dialogue with historical depictions of female nudity in paintings dating between the 16th-19th century, as well as contemporary portrayals of women. Kovalcikova contrasts a dark colour palette with lighter shades. Rather than the narrative of her paintings, she is interested in the painterly quality of her compositions and in the way the body is presented as a form. For the artist, carnality is the spectacle of interpenetration of light and shadow. The figures in her paintings often seem unreal, which is manifested in details such as their peculiarly formed parts of the body. The women in the paintings presented at the exhibition seem to be indifferent to our gaze. The figure from ‘Darkness knows you well’, where the artist portrayed Melanie Trump, remains particularly indifferent. The fairy tale character from ‘Victoria Secret’ formally refers to Dutch painting’s female representations, but the title associated with a company manufacturing women's lingerie, suggests that the artist is reflecting on contemporary nudity. We do not know whether the woman raises her hands in order to defend herself, or is encouraging the viewer to come closer. The most enigmatic and ambiguous painting seems to be ‘Misty’, depicting two women who simultaneously look at us provocatively, and simultaneously look away.