MARIANNA GEFEN (DE/RU)
Text written by GHA
One of the central protagonists in Marianna Gefen’s visual language are individual female figures, often presented on paper in an undefined space.
Her pencil drawings attract the viewer with the subdued use of the vibrant watercolors.
The chosen monochrome colors act as an amplifier of the female figures, they seem to give them life, like an energy that flows through them.
The young figures, although alone, do not convey loneliness; on the contrary, they do not seek interaction with the viewer – they seem to be whole, complete and with themselves.
Gefen lets go of the brush and leaves the colors to find their way, creating a sense of freedom.
The bright colors contrast sharply with the fine pencil strokes and the quiet, undefined backgrounds. The latter are usually monochromatic and can range from (eggshell) white to pastel yellow to light green.
Some papers appear as if torn from a notebook, evoking a sense of nostalgia and adding a sense of lightness to the final drawing. These drawings present a balanced interaction between the “clean” background and the random, abstract watercolor shapes that strengthen the clearly figurative protagonist.
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