Patrícia Jagicza's solo exhibition at Nagyházi Contemporary in Budapest.

Patrícia Jagicza: Blank Space
Curated by Zsófia Danka
2 January - 26 February, 2021
Nagyházi Contemporary, Budapest

In the artistic practice of Patrícia Jagicza, one can discover the syncretism of different types of imagery from the history of art. The tradition of still-life paintings, self-portraits, and object-based compositions are complemented with a fresh, contemporary overtone. Jagicza deconstructs the rigid rules of academism with a delicate sense of humour. Her photo-realistically detailed works are based on observation and a hyper awareness towards form. The white shades of her compositions’ lend the paintings an almost extra-terrestrial, ethereal quality. We have arrived at a unique moment in the transformation of Jagicza’s private mythology.

The latest solo exhibition of the artist focuses on the questions of identity and personal storytelling. The title of the exhibition - Blank Space - refers to a psychological dimension where the individual becomes capable of discovering and reinterpreting the so far uncharted layers of identity. The components of this dimension – memories, dreams and cognitive structures – help the individual in getting to know the deeper layers of her own personality. The border-crossing between the two dimensions is facilitated by a meditative state, elicited by the process of creation. In the previous works of the artist, the relation of self-reflection was expressed through an intricate discourse between the artist and the space surrounding her. In her new works, the act of self-analysis appears through the fine-tuned arrangements of her personal objects, which turn into self-portraits through the genre of still life.

Skin, fan corals and white paint become recurring elements in the complex iconography of the artist, alluding to rebirth, transformation and to the dawn of a personal era. The issue of artistic sensitivity and tactility appear in many of her works such as Touch, Sweet Kong and David? In some of her paintings, found postcards, magazine pages, details of book covers appear in open, collage-like compositions, which are subtly imbued by the presence of the subject. Sometimes profane details – like the fragment of torn masking tape or a piece of pink chewing gum – create a contrast with the radically precise brushwork and the meticulously crafted compositions, preserving the personal and human connotations of the images.

Patrícia Jagicza graduated at the Painting Department of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 2011 in Zsigmond Károlyi's class. In the last few years, she has received numerous scholarships and professional awards In Hungary and abroad, including the ESSL Art Award, the MANK Award and the Gyula Derkovits Fine Arts Scholarship. She regularly participates in solo and group exhibitions, her work can be found in several private and public collections in Hungary and abroad.