Girl Inside Out 2019

Curator: Jana Brike's 2019 oil painting, "Girl Inside Out," presents a unique tableau. What’s your first impression? Editor: Fragility and vulnerability, definitely. The soft color palette almost camouflages a certain raw intensity. It feels like a dreamlike confession, an unveiling of something deeply personal. Curator: Indeed. Brike's work often navigates the space between childhood innocence and the complexities of adulthood, particularly regarding female identity. The hands covering the breasts speak to both protection and exposure, echoing anxieties about visibility. Editor: The placement of the flowers directly over the chest feels powerfully symbolic. Flowers traditionally represent beauty and femininity, but they also represent the ephemerality of life, the fleeting nature of innocence, and the blooming into one’s own potential. It seems to temper the raw, almost wounded nature of the hands and arms, though. Note the scratches... Curator: Exactly! The seemingly sweet composition contrasts with the raw, almost self-inflicted wounds. It speaks to the inner battles that are often masked by outward displays of beauty. Consider also the tattoos—a stitched heart or crude writing contrasts with childhood stickers such as rainbows or unicorns: the scars of maturity in juxtaposition with naive hope. The use of symbols of childhood trauma contrasts starkly with idealized feminine traits. Editor: And what about the butterflies? They’re almost whimsical in their presence, yet butterflies often symbolize transformation, rebirth… freedom, even. Are they an element of hope or a commentary on how we understand ideas of change over time? Curator: I think it’s both, creating tension and ambiguity. They point to hope, the potential to emerge, to transform, but against a backdrop that acknowledges pain and the ongoing process of becoming. Brike seems to be creating a safe space to address complicated and diverse emotions, inviting conversation around them, a visual language to engage on social issues around intersectionality and female subjectivity. Editor: It’s fascinating how Brike uses universally understood images and then subverts expectations, revealing the complex layers of female experience. Curator: Indeed. Brike offers a powerful comment on navigating internal and external expectations. Editor: A potent and poetic depiction that continues to resonate, even after we’ve stepped away.