One morning at the river 2019

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this ink on paper work called "One morning at the river." In this piece, Krupa appears to be reaching back to the traditions of sumi-e painting, as part of a deep inquiry into his own identity as a Croatian artist. Krupa was born in the midst of the Yugoslav wars, and his work grapples with questions of cultural identity, belonging, and the legacy of conflict. Rather than offering a literal representation of a river scene, the bold and expressive brushstrokes capture the energy of the landscape and convey a sense of immediacy. The fluidity of the ink mirrors the flow of water. With compositions like this, Krupa challenges us to move beyond traditional modes of representation, and embrace the subjective, emotional dimensions of art. This artwork is therefore an exploration of personal history interwoven with broader cultural narratives, inviting us to contemplate the complex relationship between identity, place, and artistic expression.