Zsófi Barabás
From where the sea can be seen
The Erika Deák Gallery is delighted to present its upcoming exhibition, new paintings by Zsófi Barabás.
The title of the exhibition, From where to see can be seen, refers to Krisztina Tóth’s latest book, but also indicates the artist’s current position: Barabás’s painting has now coalesced into a mature, distinctive, instantly recognizable „barabászsófi-esque” world.
In Barabás’s new works, a liberating sense of freedom and playfulness is intertwined with her previous knowledges, these paintings are shaped by the combination of visceral desire and conscious image-making. Her paintings evoke associations in the viewer which could only be experienced in an underwater museum or when looking at a microscopic image; their archaic forms are just as reminiscent of DNA patterns as of a landscape detail taken from above.
As on the title painting, the different shades of blue, the splashes of colours and forms and shapes that embrace and diverge from each other float freely in space, with the only limit to their flow is the edge of the canvas. Only a step away from this world is her series of minimalist and shaped paintings. In these works, Barabás focuses on one particular story, one single motif. These works are painted with sensuous richness and energetic brushstrokes, as if the sole image was shifted from the spaces of her two-dimensional paintings. These organic forms suggest first and foremost her deep understanding of nature’s pure simplicity, of sentences stripped of all frills. Zsófi Barabás’ recent works prove that she has a place among the most important painters in Hungarian art history.
For more information, please contact the gallery.
Opening: Thursday, 9 May, 2024, 6 pm
Opening speech by: József Fülöp, animation film director, producer
On view: May 10 - June 14., 2024
Open: Wednesday - Friday, 12:00 - 18:00 pm, and by appointment