Antonia Rodrian

In Antonia Rodrian's paintings, everyday objects often play an autonomous role, serving as tools, artefacts, or archaeological findings within the artwork. These objects act, hold, play, perform, search, shape, and reshape something, positioning themselves as the traces of human gestures remain unknown or undiscovered. Rodrian's oeuvre is an observation of archaeology, language, identity, social structures, and political events. Rather than directly illustrating these actions, she uses her interest in formalism and the history of painting to overcome the barriers and expectations imposed by representation. Her paintings capture the essence of banalities, which find their natural way onto the canvas, with a wide colour spectrum yet characteristically soft. The structures depicted sometimes turn into abstract lines, and repetitions of forms emphasize the formal structure of the painting. Through her repeated process of questioning representation, Rodrian defines her exceptional style, where painting as a material and positioning of colour is as important as the displayed content.