The Dollhouse 2020

Valeria Duca made this striking painting, "The Dollhouse," using oil on canvas. The colors are dark, like they’ve been through something, and that makes the brightness of the dollhouse really pop. Look at the girl’s expression: she’s got this wary, almost scared look, which is totally amplified by the threatening, almost violent marks swirling around her. Then there's the dollhouse itself, which is rendered with such care and detail. It makes you wonder about what home means, right? The dollhouse is a symbol that is both innocent and sinister. It's a child's plaything and a vessel for dark thoughts. It's like Duca is showing us that painting can be a way to work through tough stuff, making beauty out of something that feels kind of broken. It reminds me of some of Paula Rego’s work, that kind of discomforting psychological territory. Art is strange like that, isn't it?