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Artist: Tatiana Popova, Florence Italy
Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 75 cm
In Sea of Despair, the artist portrays the overwhelming weight of bottled-up emotions - anger, frustration, sadness - through the image of a reclining female figure. Using the traditions of classical portraiture and techniques such as glazing, impasto, and layered painting, the work captures a sense of drowning within oneself, likening despair to plunging into the dark depths of the sea. Deep purples dominate the composition, acting as an antagonist that embodies the darkness overtaking the human spirit when one ceases to fight.
Stripped of sexualization, the figure conveys both vulnerability and dignity, representing the universal paralysis of surrender. The tension between the luminous skin tones and the surrounding darkness reflects the inner conflict between giving up and rising above despair. Strong diagonals and exposed areas of raw canvas heighten the drama, guiding the eye across the work while symbolizing the cyclical struggle between light and shadow, hope and resignation.
Sea of Despair invites viewers to confront their own inner battles, offering a vivid meditation on resilience and the fragile balance between despair and renewal, in direct dialogue with the Biennale’s theme of light versus darkness.
Artist: Tatiana Popova, Florence Italy
Oil on Canvas, 50 cm x 75 cm
In Sea of Despair, the artist portrays the overwhelming weight of bottled-up emotions - anger, frustration, sadness - through the image of a reclining female figure. Using the traditions of classical portraiture and techniques such as glazing, impasto, and layered painting, the work captures a sense of drowning within oneself, likening despair to plunging into the dark depths of the sea. Deep purples dominate the composition, acting as an antagonist that embodies the darkness overtaking the human spirit when one ceases to fight.
Stripped of sexualization, the figure conveys both vulnerability and dignity, representing the universal paralysis of surrender. The tension between the luminous skin tones and the surrounding darkness reflects the inner conflict between giving up and rising above despair. Strong diagonals and exposed areas of raw canvas heighten the drama, guiding the eye across the work while symbolizing the cyclical struggle between light and shadow, hope and resignation.
Sea of Despair invites viewers to confront their own inner battles, offering a vivid meditation on resilience and the fragile balance between despair and renewal, in direct dialogue with the Biennale’s theme of light versus darkness.