Triumphant in your mind 

Editor: This is Fernanda Suarez's acrylic painting, "Triumphant in your mind." She’s depicted a woman wearing what appears to be a metallic crown. What really strikes me is the way Suarez has blended classical portraiture with a contemporary, almost digital aesthetic. What elements jump out to you? Curator: Well, it’s intriguing how this painting simultaneously embraces and subverts historical power dynamics represented in portraiture. We're so used to seeing monarchs or aristocrats depicted in commanding poses to project authority. Suarez presents a softer, almost melancholic figure. Editor: Melancholic? I see some strength in her gaze. Curator: Indeed, but there's also a quietness, a resignation perhaps? The crown, traditionally a symbol of absolute rule, feels less like a declaration of power and more like… an accessory? It makes me consider how symbols of power have changed, or been internalized. Do you think the painting is questioning traditional power structures, or something else? Editor: I see the subject as being self-possessed rather than powerful, she seems very in tune with her self-image. Perhaps it's not about societal power, but internal strength. I wonder what Suarez is communicating about the expectations of women in art and media. Curator: Precisely! Consider the use of 'triumphant' in the title itself. Triumph can mean very different things in the world versus inside someone's mind. The painting reframes this, shifting from external validation to internal strength, which is a subtle but powerful message within our cultural context. Editor: That’s a great perspective. It challenges the viewer to look beyond surface appearances and societal norms, to seek strength within themselves. Curator: Agreed, I will now definitely think of portraiture through the lens of inward projection.