Anastasiia Chaikovskaia
Anastasiia Chaikovskaia is a conceptual figurative painter who has exhibited in Europe and the United States, particularly in Rome. Notable exhibitions include participation at dual shows at Soho Galleri in Västerås, Sweden, CICA Museum in Gimposi, South Korea, Rome Art Expo, Ex Mattatoio, Medina Gallery, Central Pavilion, Morphè Gallery, dual shows at Spazio Valeriani, and Barattolo Art Gallery in Rome, IVernissageDTLA in Los Angeles, and Gallery B2 in Amsterdam. Anastasiia describes her paintings as “transformations [which] suggest a state of flux, where boundaries dissolve, and the self becomes interconnected with the world around it”.
With an eye for realism and sometimes hyper-realism, Anastasiia’s acrylic paintings portray an imagined realm of contortions of human anatomy representing specific concepts of war, power, sensuality, and collective nihilism. Theatrical and performative, some of the paintings give off the illusion of being sculptures due to their pronounced three-dimensional form being accentuated with smooth gradations. From war planes dashing through the air to jesters and people morphing into machines, nearly every painting conveys unique takes on figurative expression. Anastasiia’s variations in representation can be seen as a strength as she attempts to keep the viewer on their toes in regard to how we react to biological forms being ‘sculpted’ into new ways of identification and metaphorical purpose.
There remains a sense of absurdity and critical analysis of the human condition amongst the machinations of contemporary society within the paintings. Far-removed from natural inclinations, these fantastical works explore how to disassemble and restructure the human form to communicate notions of separation and detachment from other human beings. The undertones of loneliness and despair can be particularly found in the pieces which have the human face strategically covered by a conceptual element, such as a hand, mask, or television screen for example. In Anastasiia’s imagined world, flowers grow out of human heads, people turn into stone, biological forms grow from nothing, and warplanes are ready to drop bombs on suspecting spectators.
Gravity (pictured above) depicts a child revealing her gift of creating biological forms out of pieces of folded paper through origami. These creatures appear similar to pterodactyl dinosaurs as they gradually fly up into the air. The painting remains notable because of the underlying theme of reflecting on unseen power by the weakest amongst us. In her ragged, tattered clothes, the young girl appears powerless, and yet she performs her unique ability for the audience to show she has a gift beyond her limitations. Reminiscent of the Iranian film The Color of Paradise, Anastasiia’s painting Gravity communicates a similar concept of gifted individuals neglected by society.
Anastasiia Chaikovskaia remains a promising artist who seeks to advance the possibilities of figurative paintings beyond an aesthetic realm, which has almost been thoroughly exhausted. By driving strategic notions of concepts in painting through metaphorical depictions, she offers the viewer an insight into how dark, morbid, and detached contemporary civilization can be. Although, despite the macabre themes, there remains an element of shining wisdom on collective willingness to adapt and change in the face of adversity through hope portrayed in paintings such as Gravity.
