Untitled n. 4 1992

Bracha Ettinger’s abstract work presents a canvas steeped in layered pinks and purples, punctuated by dark, almost skeletal forms. These structures, ambiguous yet suggestive, evoke a sense of half-formed memories or spectral presences. Consider the recurring motif of obscured figures. We see echoes of it in Edvard Munch's ‘The Scream’, or in the works of Rothko, where colour fields evoke profound emotional states. Here, the obscured face— a figure seen through a veil or a distorting mirror—becomes a powerful symbol of repressed trauma and identity. This motif appears across centuries, from ancient funerary masks to modern portraiture. The blurring of features and the dominance of colour contribute to a psychological landscape, engaging our subconscious. It is as if the canvas becomes a screen onto which we project our fears and anxieties. The non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in each historical context, deeply rooted in our collective memory and trauma.