Nina Tuqtaman Valetova
Metamorphosis
July 21 - August 11, 2009
Reception:
Thursday July 23, 2009 6-8 PM
Press Release
Nina Valetova's mind-bending paintings stake out fresh territory in contemporary surrealist painting. Her images tap directly into an occasionally nightmarish realm of the human subconscious, where faces dissolve and disintegrate, and the human body can morph into landscape, atmosphere or architecture. Her images also reveal our contemporary obsessions with political power, dictators, oppression, ferocity and the accompanying emotional malaise. She unearths images which disturb precisely because they speak to our own collective fantasies and anxieties. Influenced by Hieronymus Bosch as much as Salvador Dalí, Nina's works are just as accessible and complex as those two surrealist masters.
In addition to the commentary on human nature's follies and foibles implied in her works, there is pathos in her images, in the faces she presents to us, and no matter how bizarre her imagery, how distorted the bodies, faces and landscapes of her subjects, she creates her worlds with a strong sense of composition, and holds up a mirror for us which is both cultural and deeply personal.
Artist Statement
I have found that once the difficulties of acquiring technique have been surmounted, the process of creating art becomes itself a meaningful and often enjoyable experience. It makes it possible to leave the world behind for a while and forget personal troubles in creating something unique and special. I think of creativity as a precious gift, given to a person for the duration of their stay on Earth, which can be used to great effect. I find it allows me to see the world from another side. Creating another world, unfamiliar and absurd, I try to break stereotypes. I try to unite form and meaning, and embody reflections, intellect and art, as well as emotions. It seems to me that my paintings have an energy, ancient and martial, that exists independently of my will. I try to direct this energy to make the world better and brighter.
Invitation to the exhibition
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