"Minerva"

"Minerva"

Acrylic on canvas, 80 × 120 × 4 cm, 2020

The painting *Minerva* translates the mythological name of the Roman goddess of wisdom into the visual language of a contemporary portrait. The face appears as a monumental, full-frame detail that immediately draws the viewer’s gaze to its physiognomic presence, whilst at the same time leaving any unambiguous narrative interpretation open. A tension arises between individual appearance and symbolic readability, inviting the viewer to form their own interpretation.

A characteristic feature of the work is the painting technique, executed entirely with a palette knife. The areas of colour are composed of multi-layered segments precisely juxtaposed against one another; rather than depicting the face in a naturalistic manner, they give rise to a structure of independent colour values. Luminous shades of turquoise, violet, rosé and yellow model the form and create an interplay of proximity and dissolution, construction and fragmentation.

The mosaic-like structure of the background expands upon this pictorial concept. Whilst the portrait appears as a focused centre, the peripheral areas dissolve into rhythmic fields of colour, thereby creating a dialogue between the figure and the abstract pictorial space. Perception oscillates between the immediate recognition of a face and the contemplation of painterly colour structures.

*Minerva* explores the construction of identity through perception and memory. The work combines expressive colour with a controlled, contemporary materiality and examines how presence, individuality and symbolism are mutually dependent within the pictorial image.

Technical details:
Acrylic on canvas, entirely applied with a palette knife.
80 x 120 × 4 cm.
Year of creation: December 2020. Titled, dated, signed and stamped on the reverse.