A State of Trauma 

D Contemporary is proud to present a duo exhibition presenting Igor Dobrovolski and Christos Michaelides supported by ARTCOLLECTORNEWS.

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An exhibition of two international artists whose work grapples with personal or collective trauma theories filtered through abstract organic and colourful forms shaping narratives and assigning meaning to the genealogical link to poststructuralism and how a horrifying event can function as “a deathlike break”.

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Trauma is fundamentally elusive, defying attempts at representation, articulation, and expression. It surpasses the limitations of language, knowledge, and narrative, which serve as systems of portrayal. This perspective is rooted in specific philosophical beliefs about human experience and our understanding of narratives.

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A ‘State of Trauma’ presents works of self discovery, childlike forms revealing tyrannical brutalist shapes, long drawn from the aesthetics of Dobrowolski’s childhood hometown for inspiration. While his paintings and so-called childlike abstractions, painted with his left hand with a more intuitive and spontaneous approach, his exploration of sculptures present a more optimistic perspective, yet he delves into themes that remain as profound and relevant as ever. In contrast to the gentle undertones found in certain  paintings, these artworks brim with bold contours and partially assertive angles. Grandiose golden sculptures that skillfully communicate an array of abstract emotions, encompassing sensitivity, elegance, and profound sentiment portraying a pair of interconnected yet distinct entities. While the work conveys the sense of an ongoing fluid conversation between two entities — or potentially, two facets of one's own identity, Dobrowolski intentionally leaves room for the viewer's own analysis. 

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On the same palette, emerging from a land where the terrain evokes sentiments of grief, suffering, and disarray Christos Michaelides’ paintings serve as a concrete embodiment of collective memory. Be it through the crafting of monuments or the portrayal of the land as a bastion safeguarding the echoes of the past, Michaelides' colourful and abstract narratives not only encapsulate historical contexts but also forge an intimate link with contemporary concerns and imagery. Inspired by his homeland Cyprus — an island both united and divided, he presents a hybrid geopolitical expanse molded by emotions and politics.

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In the exhibition both works contemplate impetus behind creativity that lies in the existence of an intrinsic emptiness and traverses through emotions and generations.

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Taboos and unexpressed wordless tales of shapeless narrative reveal traumas that elude traditional language or distinct portrayal. This realm is where boundaries and definitions are yet to materialize, remaining in a state of perpetual emergence.