It’s the End of the World 2020

Valeria Duca painted ‘It’s the End of the World’ with what looks like oil paint and maybe a touch of dark humour! You can tell she enjoys the process of painting, not just the end result. The brushstrokes are visible, and the colors are layered in a way that creates a sense of depth and movement. The surface of the painting is quite interesting. Duca's use of thick paint in some areas gives it a sculptural quality, while in other areas, the paint is thinner, allowing the canvas to show through. I especially love the way she handles the blue dots, like drips, which gives the background an ethereal, dreamlike quality, contrasting with the figure who feels very present and embodied. It puts me in mind of Lucian Freud, but with a millennial twist. Duca is part of an ongoing conversation about how we see and experience the world. It's not about finding a single, correct interpretation, but embracing the ambiguity and allowing the painting to speak to us in different ways.