Venus 

Yoko d'Holbachie’s ‘Venus’ reimagines Botticelli’s iconic goddess, through a lens that is both surreal and deeply personal. Born in 1971, d’Holbachie emerged as an artist whose work explores themes of sexuality, identity, and the subconscious, often challenging conventional representations of the female form. Here, Venus stands upon her shell, yet she is transformed: horns sprout from her head, and a third eye adorns her forehead, suggesting a being that transcends traditional beauty. The creature at her feet, with its single eye, hints at the artist's exploration of seeing and being seen, reflecting the complex gaze to which women are subjected. D’Holbachie blends the classical with the avant-garde, creating a Venus for a new millennium. The painting invites us to question how we perceive beauty and challenges us to embrace the unconventional and the multifaceted nature of identity.