Nagini, 1995

Acrylic on cardboard – 410 x 316 mm

This work is not a realistic portrait but a distilled presence condensed into an archetype – a visual imprint of a suggestive feminine power. Although inspired by the character, distinctive facial features, gaze, and aura of a specific woman (Gy.K.), the form transcends individual traits. The profile of the head evokes more a statue or totem than a flesh-and-blood figure – thus attaining a timeless, mythic quality.

Here, feminine essence manifests not in external attributes but as energy: a magnetic, instinctive force operating on an emotional level – simultaneously alluring and threatening, much like Nagini, the serpent goddess of Indian mythology. The composition presents the figure in profile – rather than a direct frontal gaze, it subtly influences and draws the viewer inward.
Thick, churning white brushstrokes whirl across the ochre ground, while violet shadows carry hidden depths and mystery. The interplay of light and shadow, together with distorted contours, expresses both strength and vulnerability.

Yet all of this appears in an abstracted, stylized manner – the figure’s idol-like presence lifts it beyond the human, transforming it into a symbol of an archetype.
This painting is a significant piece within the Tardigrades cycle, exemplifying the raw corporeal imagery and archetypal approach characteristic of the artist’s early period.