Two Bound Angels on the Beach 2019

Jana Brike made this painting of two figures on a beach using oil paint. Look at the way Brike applies the paint in thin, translucent layers, building up the forms gradually. It's a process of tenderly revealing the figures and the scene. The surface of the painting is smooth, almost porcelain-like, which adds to the dreamlike quality. The muted colors and soft light create an atmosphere of melancholic beauty. Notice the braid connecting the figures, adorned with blue flowers which are echoed in the teardrops on the woman's face, as well as in the unfinished tattoo of wings on the man's back. This feels like a symbolic representation of interconnectedness and longing. The tattoo is such a poignant touch, it's kind of adolescent, and full of yearning. Brike's work reminds me of other figurative painters like Paula Rego, who also explore themes of love, loss, and transformation through symbolic imagery. Like Rego, Brike embraces ambiguity and allows for multiple interpretations. There is definitely a personal tone in Brike's work, which is what makes it so beautiful.