Tina DOBRAJC, 2023 The Red House The Red House

The thick forests of the Slovenian Škofja Loka, the Sora Plain, and the idyllic Alpine foothills are fundamental sources of inspiration for Tina Dobrajc’s works, in terms of form, iconography, and deeply rooted personal stories. Human figures are central motifs in her paintings, which are mostly set in precisely those landscapes, often creating a certain atmosphere. Two children in an inflatable dinghy, houses on the edge of a forest, a purported idyll that is, however, deceptive – because Dobrajc would like to disrupt the idea that nature is only a place of solace and contemplation. For the artist, nature is like a wounded animal, dangerous and rabid, also on the attack yet fleeing, full of secrets. Dobrajc identifies as an animal activist and climate justice advocate. Against that backdrop, she observes change and deals directly with the issues that concern her in her works. For Dobrajc, there is a fundamental question: “How can we feel at ease and safe unless we take a close look at ourselves and our surroundings?” Many of the works use bright magenta and fluorescent tones that extend across the trees, seeming to reflect a nearby fire. In choosing this intense color palette, she aims to reinforce gloomy visions and a dull uncertainty – a revelation of toxicity and a kind of nameless premonition. In parallel, fragments of contemporary urban life materialize as figures and remnants of graffiti remnants. Rather than celebrating nature, the painting holds up a mirror of its slow desecration to viewers.

Tina Dobrajc (Kranj/SL 1984) completed her bachelor’s and master’s degree in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. In 2024 she was awarded a STRABAG Artaward International Recognition Award.