Poker Series – Porcelain Heart 2022

Curator: At first glance, there is an air of whimsical melancholy about this piece. It's called "Poker Series – Porcelain Heart" by Daria Theodora, created in 2022. What stands out to you? Editor: What a striking assemblage! Right away, the meticulous linework catches my eye, the layering of colors suggestive of ink or watercolour perhaps. I wonder what kind of paper or surface was selected for this and what decisions led to its visual texture? Curator: Good eye. Yes, the tangible aspect of paper really defines its quality here. Beyond technique, the imagery pulls you in, right? What about the symbols—the heart, the cat, the bird—how do they speak to you? Editor: It's a vibrant bestiary within the self. That stylized red cat really intrigues me. I suspect its bright hue isn’t merely decorative but functional: a signal, maybe to ward off unwelcome energies or perhaps represent repressed emotion. I'd love to know what process Theodora employs in sourcing and selecting pigments? Does she mix them herself, or are they pre-processed materials? Curator: Materially, this piece certainly generates questions, doesn't it? From an iconographic angle, there are all these archetypes we know from myths and legends... What narratives come to mind when you consider the heart pierced above the central figure? Editor: Hmm, my inclination would be to interpret it less literally, and maybe see it in relation to all the materials surrounding it. Consider the tension created by the medium's delicateness contrasted with its symbolism of love's supposed intensity. Then the crown, almost floral; a forced vulnerability, maybe? Curator: Absolutely. It's intriguing how the fragility of watercolor can represent intense concepts like emotional exposure and raw nerve. Do you think Theodora's materials comment directly on society's pressure to value romanticism? The name "Poker Series" almost screams deception and masked feelings, contrasted against that vulnerability. Editor: It very well might. One thing’s evident: both the artist’s material selection, especially for someone of our period to use paint with an appearance like so, together with the complex, multi-layered subject-matter here suggests intentional artifice. Curator: And so, what feels initially sentimental becomes an exploration of artifice and control. Thanks, that gives us much to contemplate about value both in and beyond its surface appearance. Editor: Indeed. It highlights the fascinating dialogues happening constantly within materials and motifs; this time embodied with such expressive grace by Theodora.