Tina Dobrajc - Owls Are Not What They Seem

Tina Dobrajc is very recognisable on the domestic art scene, and her mystical and mysterious works are becoming increasingly popular due to the use of rich animal iconography, numerous folklore emblems, and sophisticated feminism. In her paintings, she regularly depicts forest animals, brave female protagonists, various carnival elements and parts of national costumes, with the forest motif reigning as an eternal, unwavering backdrop. Her latest works, most of which are exhibited to the general public for the first time, are on display at the current exhibition in the Miklova hiša gallery in Ribnica.

Unlike her previous works, in which the central female figures were depicted in the foreground and, with their frontal, self-confident posture and staring gaze at the viewer, almost “stepped out” of the image, in her latest paintings these are pushed into the background, deeper into the forest scenery. This time, the artist’s favoured forest motif is more colourful and noticeably denser. It appears to be in distress and calling for help. In places, it is engulfed in flames, and the foreground is dominated by broken, dead branches. Such elaborate scenography and balanced forest scenery, where the attention is taken away from the otherwise extremely important human figures, can be interpreted as an observation of an unprotected environment that coincides with the current anxious and apocalyptic spirit of the times.