Artwork title : Jaga

The painting that you see is an ambiguous attempt of self-portrait made in scale 1:1. Its name is Jaga, whose etymology takes meaning from word (j)ęga which translates into terror and danger. The last three letters are also an abbreviation of my name, which is an element connected with the folklore figure “Baba Jaga”.

The main message that I tried to communicate is this piece’s complexity. This self-portrait is my own way of self-analysis, although it can apply to anyone. People’s personalities are an extremely complex construct. We take on many roles in our everyday life. In my society I am seen as a loving mother and reliable employee expected to act within the social norms. My piece shows the other side of me, usually hidden from the outside world. It’s the side of a partially undressed woman fully aware of her sexuality and appeal. The way she stands suggests that she is self confident and proud. Despite that she keeps her face hidden. The mask helps her to remain anonymous. This anonymity seemingly shields her from criticism, which lets her keep the facade of “a well adjusted citizen”.

Painting is made with acrylic technique with dimensions of 200cm/100cm.

You can see also my previous works on the website of the largest polish auction house "Desa Unicum": https://desa.pl/pl/artysci/agnieszka-kwiatkowska/