Teodora Axente: Symmetries of the Oneiric

rosenfeld porcini is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition by Romanian artist Teodora Axente, ‘Symmetries of the Oneiric.’ A graduate from the renowned Cluj School, Axente is concerned with reworking the tradition of classical portraiture.

Across both floors of the gallery, the exhibition features a selection of Axente’s most recent paintings presenting both ambitious large canvases and smaller works on wood panel.

Although the portrait is a primary focus for many contemporary artists, often their concern is with exploring the iden- tities of the subject, dress and their mannerisms, whilst still maintaining a strong sense of realism. In contrast, Axente is preoccupied with creating a surreal representation of those she paints. Up to her most recent body of works, she would prepare an elaborate set adorning her protagonists with ornamented costumes and extravagant materials, she photographs them in situ and uses these images as source material. These costumes which adorn each figure are key elements in the composition as Axente manages to infuse them with a tactile and uncanny quality. In the most recent works she has changed working method sourcing her subject for popular culture. Her use of a dark colour palette is a fitting backdrop to her constant investigation into the depths of the human psyche. Her eerie symbiosis of animate and inanimate creates the perfect setting for her recent exploration into the theme of metamorphosis. This is expressed in her fusion of both human and animal figures, which is the subject of her most recent compositions.