Renaissance Play House - Sewing Room, 2026

Dubravka Lazic  

A surreal domestic scene unfolds in this meticulously composed photograph. The image presents a strange collision of eras and scales. At its heart stands a classical sculptural group, reimagined as a flat, theatrical backdrop. These figures evoke the grandeur of the Renaissance. They are surrounded by an eclectic array of miniatures. A vintage sewing machine rests on a delicate wooden table. Plush pillows with floral and checkered patterns scatter across the floor. A tiny mustard-yellow sofa adds a touch of mid-century comfort. All these elements sit atop a richly patterned oriental rug. The composition plays with the perception of space and memory. It blends high art with the intimacy of a home. The lighting is soft and uniform. It creates a dreamlike atmosphere where the boundaries between sculpture and furniture blur. Every object is placed with precision. This arrangement transforms a simple room into a conceptual stage. The artwork explores the tension between historical permanence and the fragility of daily life. The focus remains sharp on the contrasting textures of fabric, stone, and metal.

Renaissance Play House is a photographic series that juxtaposes Renaissance drawings and paintings with plastic toy furniture, creating unexpected visual encounters between historical heritage and contemporary consumer culture. Through the deliberate collision of opposing elements—timeless and disposable, refined and playful, sacred and ordinary—the works invite viewers to question established values and cultural narratives. The resulting tension becomes a visual metaphor for transformation, suggesting that perhaps it is time for a new Renaissance. Dubravka Lazić is an artist and professor of photography whose work combines analog and digital techniques, often exploring the interplay between reality and imagination. Her practice is marked by a poetic visual language that intertwines narrative, memory, and experimentation. Through photography, photograms, and mixed media processes, she creates layered images that evoke intimacy and reflection, while also highlighting the subtle tension between tradition and contemporary approaches. 

From the Renaissance Play House series Digital photography Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper Edition of 13