Natasha Lelenco, Anthropomorphic Figure, 2022, Mixed Media

"Vian 13" is one of the pieces from the "Fetishes" series created by Natasha Lelenco in 2022. A suggestion of a face comes to sight in artist Natasha Lelenco's surrealist yellow and green composition. She creates an anthropomorphic figure using floral elements, visually shaping an old teenage game. Its body reads Vian 13, a fictional group named after an acronym of four friend's names, against the boyband from the 90s, East 17. Part of her Fetishes series, drawing from musical memory in conjunction with her visual memory. The pieces merge popular imagery and botanical elements, exploring the intertwining of humans with the living world. This painting was originated as a commission for the exhibition "Imaxinaria, Mostra Internacional de Ilustración Contemporánea" in Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña, Spain. It is part of the "Fetishes" series where the artist addresses themes such as the human position in nature, questioning anthropocentrism as an unquestionable stance. The piece has been conceived as an absolute whole and does not require a frame. The sides have been worked on and are an integral part of its composition. Lelenco's "Fetiches" series melds portraiture and anthropomorphic forms, achieved through a meticulous accumulation of elements. These elements intertwine with a nuanced thematic exploration, touching upon both kitsch and popular iconography. The series also delves into the inseparable connection between humanity and the larger living community. Drawing from her personal biography, Natasha Lelenco constructs a dialogue between memory and imagery. Through a skillful process, she resurrects fragments of her past to craft fresh narratives that challenge conventional perceptions of existence. This narrative depth, coupled with psychological complexity, echoes classical influences, seamlessly bridging the gap between Renaissance portraiture and contemporary expression. Notably, Lelenco's "Fetiches" series echoes the artistic echoes of Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. These pieces have been designed to function individually or to be combined into multiple panels, engaging in dialogue with other artworks from the same series. Note: The use of fluorescent colors makes it difficult to reproduce it completely faithfully, so the reproductions shown do not do justice to the intensity and brightness of the original piece, which could vary subtly.