Photo credit: Roman Zubarev

Episode 78 features Alina Zamanova Her paintings are centered around the representation of modern reality, where women’s bodies are embraced in all shapes and focused to portray their distortions without societal norms labeled on them. Being inspired by muses around the world, Zamanova recently draws from her own experience on a psychological level of upbringing to expose both physical and mental sides of humanity. The female bodies in her paintings occupy the dramatic landscapes from her dreams, memories and real-life places that have a strong connection to the artist. The concepts that the artist investigates involve human relationships and hidden stereotypical behaviours, how societal norms’ ability distort the perception of our existence, views on our bodies and the connection of humans to nature. Zamanova was born in Ukraine (1993) and has had a strong connection to nature since a young age. The artist investigates her own existence within the earth’s creations, by experiencing the landscapes and textures of nature with her own body, distorting the shape of it, exploring the silence.

Since ancient times, art has been dedicated to the depiction of beauty and belonged to men. Accordingly, the image of women in this was subordinated to the desires and needs of one of the sexes. The theme of the female gaze is often associated with the destruction of bodily and other stereotypes towards women generated by the male gaze. The female gaze confronts the created ideal of beauty, which imposes specific standards that she must meet. Zamanova’s paintings depict precisely the women who are both confident and vulnerable in their chosen environment and portray the shift of power that women take back over their image and body.”

Artist website https://alinazamanova.com/

i-d Vice  https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/akdvv5/alina-zamanova-surreal-paintings-celebrate-all-body-types

Metal Magazine https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/alina-zamanova-ugliness-as-the-new-paradigm

Glass Magazine https://www.theglassmagazine.com/glass-interviews-artist-alina-zamanova/

Show Studio https://www.showstudio.com/contributors/alina_zamanova

“Details from the new painting “Which side are you on?”
Oil on canvas
145 x 220 cm
2021

“Distorted Reality”
Oil on canvas
145 x 220 cm
2021

“Mavka”
Dry pastel on paper
100 x 70 cm
2021