About the artwork
On a sheet of plywood, this acrylic-enhanced silkscreen highlights a young girl, as if carrying the scenery behind her with her hand. At the center of this large rose window sits what appears to be an African mask, whose geometric decorations and earthy colors recall primitive African and Indonesian influences. This mandala, a symbol often associated with the universe and spirituality, contrasts with the realistic representation of the young girl, creating a tension between the innocence of youth and the complexity of the world around her.
Expert opinion
Carrying the viewer along in a mystical rite, this work by Swoon, an indisputable figure on the American urban scene, is characteristic of the artist's work.
About the artist
Born in 1978, Swoon, whose real name is Caledonia Curry, is an American artist. In 1999, she began plastering the streets of New York with her portraits while attending the Pratt Institute of Art. Now recognized as the first woman to achieve notoriety in the world of urban art, she explores the darker sides of her subjects, regularly marrying a fantastical universe with female figures. Beyond the seemingly mystical universe of her works, she maintains a strong sense of realism, particularly in the social struggles of today's society. In this respect, she created the Heliotrope Foundation to help communities respond and heal after natural disasters and other major social crises. Her work is exhibited in prestigious institutions such as New York's Museum of Modern Art, Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, Tate Modern and the São Paulo Museum of Art.
“For me, it was a question of retaining my identity and training as a classical portraitist and transposing it outside, into this other tradition.”
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