Viola Głowacka

figures. Their elongated, anaemic silhouettes and pale complexions, sometimes visibly marked by violence, sometimes clearly worn-out, with their make-up smeared, are not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, portrayed in bars, brothels, streets or in the home, they seem to be distanced, indifferent, perhaps even uninterested in their surroundings. The artist uses the tempera technique, which results in interesting visual effect: a combination of watercolour and oil painting. Although Głowacka does not shy from using intense colours, the world in her paintings seems rather muted, as if reality itself reflected the state of her characters' spirits. This is visible in ‘Black eggs’, whose protagonist cools down by holding a can of beer to her cheek. The artist suggests that the open fridge provocatively facing the viewer corresponds with the protagonist’s attitude.