Manuela Vladic-Mastruko

Tecnica: graphite pencil, colored pencil, collage, gouache

Anno: 2024-2026

Dimensione: 29 x 38 cm

Descrizione: The project History of Ailments, Reading, Joy, Sorrow and Ageing (Metamorphoses) reflects on the fragility and resilience of the human body and the capacity of the spirit to bridge the gap between physical limitations and creative vitality. Facing chronic illness, multiple surgeries, and natural processes of ageing, the artist transforms her therapeutic journal into an artwork of wider resonance. Each chapter addresses a specific bodily change—wrinkles, prosthetics, or loss of voice—and is depicted through pencil drawings, tempera, collage, and humorous or self-ironic commentary. The work moves from intimate confession toward collective meaning, showing how personal transformation affirms universality and equality of spirit.
The structure of the book is multi-layered: text and image are enriched with pop-up elements, perforations, and collage. Quotations from literature, found by synchronicity, add depth to the narrative, while references to tattoo iconography bring the theme of body modification into dialogue with cultural history. The artist also plays with identity, embodying figures from mythology and art history—from Aphrodite to Frida Kahlo—while reflecting on pain, resilience, and creativity. Connections to artists such as Kahlo or Kiki Smith highlight a shared engagement with the body as both subject and metaphor.