Natalia Schoutsen Stefanova - Without Words

For this exhibition, the artist chose works from two related series: Creation and Ancient Icons. In both series, she explores existential questions about the origins of life and the meaning of human existence. What do life and death mean in cosmological perspective? And what insights do religious and esoteric traditions offer about this?

The Creation series marks the beginning of Stefanova's quest. Inspired by biblical apocrypha and esoteric literature, she depicts her interpretation in works such as Zodiac, Labyrinth Travellers, Birth and Lighter Than a Feather. The paintings are characterised by a palette of black, yellow, green and red, and show figures with a contemplative gaze.

In Old Icons, the artist explores how the traditional image of the icon can transform into a contemporary visual language. She uses a limited colour palette of blues, ochre yellows, greys and reds and works with coarse textures and craquelé effects reminiscent of weathered frescoes or Orthodox icons, marred by the ravages of time. Themes such as impermanence and human frailty take centre stage. In this series, she shows the paintings Grail, Last Supper, Grace, Goodness, Nativity and Pietà, among others.