Juniper 2019

Curator: "Juniper," created in 2019 by Soey Milk, is an alluring mixed-media artwork. The blend of portrait and figurative styles strikes a balance between contemporary abstraction and neo-expressionist flair. Editor: It's got a magical feel! The subject looks straight out of a fairytale. There's something fragile yet fierce about her presence... like a forest spirit caught between worlds. Curator: Yes, it's quite evocative. Milk often combines acrylic paint and other media to build up textures and layers, if you look closely at her skin you see washes of translucent layers, which blurs the line between realism and fantasy, adding depth and intrigue. Editor: Absolutely! The way the colours are almost… dissolving. And what's with all of the flora? Is she literally sprouting blossoms, or what? Curator: Her portraits often feature the incorporation of floral elements or elements from nature, which, from a semiotic standpoint, might be interpreted as signifiers of life, growth, and a connection to the natural world. The work appears to be about transformation as well, doesn’t it? A meditation on nature. Editor: I like that... I think there’s something to the connection of nature and our interior. It gives you this sense that it could be a memory, a dream. Something fragile but persistent. But it's playful. Like she doesn't take herself too seriously... almost as though the subject has a private joke with herself. Curator: It definitely dances between sincerity and irony. This allows Milk to engage with portraiture in a fresh way and move beyond the simple representation of a human likeness. Editor: Precisely. It makes you wonder about her own feelings toward her self-image. Do you get that sense of introspection as well, that mirror being turned inward? It makes me wonder if that is what artmaking is at its best. Curator: Yes. Ultimately, the artwork functions as a dialogue—a kind of visual and aesthetic interaction that leaves you wanting more. Editor: "Juniper" is really a feast for the senses—I find it hard to pull away and would spend quite a bit of time simply reflecting upon her story.