Bill Brady Gallery Miami is proud to present The Presence of Absence, a solo presentaion of oil paintings by Slovenian artist Anaja Hvastija Gaia.
Mysterious landscapes, existing somewhere between the planes of the physical and psychological, are home to serene figures of feminine forms . Their complexions soft and silent; contemplative both together and alone. Two domains of the self, the ideal and the actual, are represented in these canvases, depicting the duality of identity and the balance between what is real versus what is imaginary. Carl Rogers, a humanistic psychologist, characterized the self-actualization theory as a life long investigation, with our self-concept comprising of three different parts: how we view ourselves, what we wish we were like, and what we believe our worth is in relation to other people. Hvastija Gaia’s paintings visualize the subconscious conversations we have within ourselves to define who am I and what am I worth?
The figures present speak to one another in a language unbound from words. Their soft embrace alludes to a knowing between them that transcends need for verbal expression. Surrounded by peaceful countryside, they are unburdened by the concerns of the outside world; left to behold one another and examine what makes them one in the same.
