Guardian of the Enchanted Grove, 2023

Dasha Pogodina   Best sellers Emerging artists

"Guardian of the Enchanted Grove" is a striking portrayal of the intertwining of human and nature, steeped in symbolism and vibrant color. The central figure, a woman, stands confidently alongside a majestic, spotted creature, suggesting a guardian-like presence within a realm that defies the ordinary. Her stance is one of strength and solidarity with the animal, echoing ancient myths where humans and nature spirits coexist. The backdrop, a tapestry of lush foliage and geometric patterns, creates a world that is at once rooted in the organic and the mystical. The bold use of reds and oranges, juxtaposed with the verdant greens, imbues the painting with a life force that is palpable. This piece invites the viewer to step into a space where legend and reality converge, and where the guardianship of nature's sacred spaces is both a duty and an honor. 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.