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Christina Tzani’s first solo exhibition “Tender Wounds” combines innocence and suffering to create an astounding collection of portraits. Through ink, oils and watercolours, this Greek artist confronts the cruelty of child abuse.
All of the pieces are single portraits on white backgrounds. Each tells a story: some of the poisoned children are refugees or myths, and some aren’t even children at all, but babies or three legged-angels. Tzani consistently blurs the lines between reality and imagination.
The faces of these subjects are carefully sculpted with paint to create three-dimensional optical blending that bring them alive. Tzani contrasts this detail with simple hair and clothes—challenging what may be suggested by plain outward appearances. However, with several pieces this can seem careless, as if Tzani’s skill lies in facial features alone.
The artist utilises vivid red, purple and green colours on her subjects to desensitise the viewer into forgetting what they represent: blood, bruises and mental scarring. Tzani isn’t afraid to experiment further by using thick layers of salt to create a teary lustre on several works. She also applies paint straight out of the tube to the canvas, which aligns with how her young subjects might paint. All of these subtle techniques complement the theme.
A folder displays more of Tzani’s ink works, and it’s clear that she is a master of the medium. Her brushwork (and lack thereof) shows detailed human forms even from seemingly unworked ink.
This exhibition is grotesque, unique and emotionally challenging. Tzani never romanticises her theme, only the viewer, who is lulled into a false sense of security. The audience is forced to separate her colourful execution from her entrapped subjects. Even the sheer number and variety of young people featured serves as a stark reminder that child abuse cannot be forgotten as an issue in society, despite being disguised with playful colours. Tzani’s exploration of different mediums and her portrayal of a difficult subject make this demanding exhibition well worth a visit to GalleryX.
