MASHA GUSOVA
Distorted Views
Masha Gusova’s artwork encourages viewers to challenge their expectations when it comes to our belief systems and the ritualistic thought patterns that can often take over our everyday lives. The U.K.based artist’s upcoming solo exhibition, a body of work that strives to tell the stories of women, will run from July 5 to 8 at the Haven Gallery booth, No. 623, at the Market Art + Design contemporary art fair.
“I am inspired by classical works of art and finding new ways of reinterpreting them. For this show, I have chosen various female figures, which tell stories of our strengths and weaknesses. Envy, which is self-evident; Lady Godiva relating to courage; and the third, Two Venuses, which will be a playful representation of the multifaceted nature of personality,” says Gusova.
Gusova’s unique paintings take classic works and almost literally flip them on their heads, creating distorted versions that look as though they’re being viewed through a kaleidoscope or fed through a paper shredder and then reassembled. “I hope that the audience will pick up on the emotion and movement of these works and that they experience a sort of time travel in some way,” the artist says.
Her oil painting, Envy, she explains, deals with the idea of jealousy, a negative human emotion that is nonetheless experienced almost universally, no matter the person’s culture or upbringing. “I believe negative emotions present us with an invaluable opportunity to dig deep within us to uncover and overcome limiting beliefs that keep us from moving closer to our potential,” says Gusova.