Whispers of Venus, 2023

Dasha Pogodina   Best sellers Emerging artists

"Whispers of Venus" is a thought-provoking piece that captures the ethereal and timeless essence of the feminine divine. The subject, depicted with an air of contemplative grace, is seated against a backdrop that hints at the vastness of nature and the human psyche. Her posture and closed eyes suggest an inward journey of reflection and peace. The artist’s use of soft, rosy hues contrasts with the muted background, drawing focus to the figure's gentle form and the sculptural folds of the shell-like structure upon which she rests. This painting goes beyond the visual to touch on themes of self-awareness and the complex layers of identity. It invites the viewer to listen to the silent stories whispered by the muse, stories of beauty, strength, and the interconnectedness of all things. The artwork is a serene meditation on the power of stillness and the profound narratives held within the simplicity of being. PERICHORESIS SERIES In her series of works, Dasha uses the term "perichoresis" (Dr.-Greek περιχώρησις - "interpenetration"), a theological term meaning the mutual penetration of divine parts into each other, for the title to describe a unique union that does not imply mixing or merging, but emphasizes an inseparable and inseparable unity. In her work, Daria explores the theme of a new sexuality, deliberately choosing a term from theological treatises for her series of works. With this provocative gesture, she protests against the dictates of religion, the manipulation and pessimization of human sexual expression and corporeality by the church. "Perichoresis" for her is a beautiful and complex term describing the fusion of the divine. Having grown up in the Protestant tradition within Orthodox society, Daria states the separation of sexuality from divinity common in all these religions, while she sees sexuality as the brightest manifestation of divinity, beauty and sublimity. The artist notes that Christian culture has invested the image of the female body with a narrative of pornographic tension, while at the same time presenting paradise before the fall as a sexual paradise, a Garden of earthly pleasures. For the artist, sexual paradise is a safe environment, complete trust, acceptance, an opportunity to open up and discover the Other, an opportunity to learn to be loved and to love. An environment where fusion does not dissolve in the other person, but on the contrary strengthens the individuality of each person and enriches each other. Thus the artist through the term "perichoresis", which means interpenetration, fusion of individualities and even occurs in Christian treatises as a round dance of love, reminds that the division into high and low in love is artificial, and overcoming this division can make life more beautiful. The characters in her paintings are immersed in the enigmatic space of love, and sometimes ironic scenes that balance the degree of sublimity with encounters with anthropomorphic partners.