The Dollhouse 2020

Valeria Duca's "The Dollhouse" feels like it's been coaxed into being with layers of oil paint. It's like Duca is building an atmosphere, the painting emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine her, staring intently, trying to capture something ephemeral. What strikes me most are the stark contrasts between the realism of the figure and the gestural abstraction surrounding her. I like how the thick, textured paint of the dollhouse juxtaposes with the looser brushwork in the background. The red, explosive marks feel anxious, immediate. The dollhouse, clutched in her hands, seems to be her anchor, as if she's trying to hold onto an idea of home as the world erupts around her. The gesture of the hands, protectively clasping the little house, speaks volumes. It's like she's having a dialogue with artists like Paula Rego, where the domestic becomes a site of psychological drama. And, for me, it's a reminder that painting is an ongoing conversation, an exchange across time.