Yolanda 

Curator: Let’s consider “Yolanda”, a portrait by Cathrine Edlinger-Kunze, realized in oil paint with impasto application. Editor: The texture is captivating! See how the impasto builds almost sculptural peaks? The blue of that hat is such a striking contrast to the warm ochre ground, but also creates this unsettling, ethereal mood around this young woman. Curator: I see it also reflecting shifts in art institutions, where the re-evaluation of figuration gains more acceptance. One can also read that as a wider reflection of social discourse which recognizes the individual. The portrait offers the viewer not just an image but the sense of self, a character worthy of reflection and contemplation. Editor: Looking closer, I observe the anatomical distortion; the slightly elongated neck, the gentle asymmetry of the face. Edlinger-Kunze really uses the language of Modernism, almost Expressionist touches in how emotions and inner states are conveyed through gestural application. The colour choices, too—this palette that somehow both softens and unsettles. Curator: The ambiguity is intentional. This recalls questions about portraiture; not a record of likeness but also, importantly, of its contextual framing. Edlinger-Kunze engages directly with questions of modern representation, pushing back against traditional norms through active dialogue with the model. Editor: There's something intrinsically vulnerable in her expression, the upward gaze, perhaps? Even in its abstraction, I’m quite affected by her very present humanity. Curator: Well put. The conversation around art changes because society changes. How we see portraits shifts from ideals to the portrayal of everyday identities. Editor: It certainly leaves one thinking not just about *what* we see, but *how* we see. Thank you.