Kolner Serie # 8 

Maria Bozoky created Kolner Serie #8 using ink and paper. Observe how the figure, rendered with stark lines, clasps their hands in what seems like a gesture of contemplation or mourning. This motif of clasped hands appears across cultures, from ancient Roman funerary art to Renaissance depictions of saints in prayer. Think of Donatello’s bronze statue of Saint Louis of Toulouse, where the saint's hands are similarly clasped. But where Donatello’s saint exudes piety, Bozoky’s figure presents a modern ambiguity. The gesture, passed down through centuries, loses its explicit religious connotation, evolving into a universal symbol of introspection. Perhaps this reflects a shift in the collective psyche—the sacred morphing into the secular, with the emotional intensity of human experience remaining constant. The raw lines evoke a sense of unrest, a visual echo of internal struggle. It’s this emotional undercurrent that resonates, engaging us on a primal level. This timeless symbol persists, an enduring testament to humanity’s search for meaning.