IB Art Exhibition 2017

Made for my IB Art final course project in high school, this exhibition was the stepping stone in learning how to paint big. I spend many months planning and preparing. The theme behind this project is still close to heart and I wanted to post what inspired me and what my message was when painting these.

This art exhibition is a representation of the struggles within an individual inflicted by conflicts between (1) the inner self, and (2) society. The paintings identify problematic relationships between females’ nature and their surroundings.

To show how many people are faced with an inner struggle to identify their self I explored the relationship between a person and their subconscious mind. This is evident in Hidden where the major question that the observer must ponder is why the woman is shielding her face. Within the society, a person is like an open ribcage, stripped of its protecting skin layers, left only with its skeleton structure, exposing inner emotions and desires. Is that an atmosphere of truthfulness? Or do we attempt to hide what is inside? This is exactly what is portrayed in Evading, where the female figure attempts to escape society and what the stigma it imposes. Similarly, in Primal, the woman is faced with a conflict because she is expected to be dainty, yet if she is, she is condemned to be a toy that only pleases men. On the other hand, being strong makes her appear as if she is an emotionless dictator. This is also representative of the two halves of the body which are in opposing color schemes and unique styles (realistic vs. impressionistic) to highlight the controlled system 1 and the instincts of the system 2 of the brain thinking (or the precise rational thinking versus the loose strokes exemplifying imagination).

I wanted to portray how relationships with other people can be painful, yet they are rewarding and shape who we are. Terrifying instances of rape exist, scarring a woman for life, shown in No Means No, and people feel hurt when they are Betrayed. Despite that, people can have a positive influence on each other. For example, in Touched, the subject’s head flows into an external blue environment, exuding tranquility and peace. Although the head is sharply delineated from the external vivid red hues typically associated with anger and sexual frustration, the portrayed instant is one of unproblematic coexistence. The violence challenging this harmony is inflicted by an imprint of a dripping green hand (the external force) on the throat. The green hand is the only element that is not static – the dripping and the smudges on its left reveal movement. This embodies how people are capable of altering our mind and leaving an imprint that changes who we are, many times positively. The connectedness between males and females is eminent in Connected and Bolstered. In the latter the two figures are drawn semi-transparent, which enables to see their inner exertion (the woman’s skeleton for example might be interpreted as fatigue that is ameliorated by the man’s supportive gesture). The loose strokes depict a dynamic relationship, showing us that everything is being defined by our actions. And the white dripping paint symbolizes the flowing and inevitability of time, urging the observer of the picture to appreciate what they have in the moment.

My name is Nadezhda and in Bulgarian that means Hope. Thus, despite my denunciation of the issues in our society for females, I wanted to remain hopeful. I believe that art can be used as a form of communication to show people the emotions which women go through and persuade society to alter gender norms and stereotypes.