My paintings are born from a desire to reinvent the representation of women. What I am interested in is the suggestion of a narrative without telling a story and the possibility of creating new meaning.
Melitta Nemeth draws from European artists such as Millais, Manet, Gauguin and Munch to redefine the subject of the Baigneuses that is commonly presented through the male perspective.
In her strive to reevaluate this trope, the artist captures her female heroines in their intimate instances of solitude and wistfulness through chromatically dynamic compositions. The artist has long been interested in how women feel and act when alone; how they react to their own emotions when unsullied by the male gaze.
Instantly recognisable, Nemeth’s works transport the viewer deep into the midst of a mystical jungle of vibrant brushstrokes.
The abstracted background of water streams and plants frame the scenes, injecting depth and a sense of dissociation. The unexpected chromatic choice of works such as Found (2021) adds a layer of mystery as the yellow and red hues set the seemingly tranquil figure ablaze. Becoming one with their surroundings, the figures invite the viewer to project their own reflections and associations to amplify this sense of dramatic emotion and inner turmoil.
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Nemeth’s muses, each heightened by individual shape, form and colour, appear passive on the outside while the inverted colour scheme reveals their overpowering inner worlds. Manipulating colour as if playing with fire and ice, she creates work that emanates a sensuous, serene sense of nostalgia.
Melitta Nemeth
Dreamtime
2022
60 x 80 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Stuck in Her Daydream
2022
80 x 60 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Self Care
2022
50 x 40 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Behind You
2022
50 x 40 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Breathe
2021–22
80 x 60 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Found
2021
80 x 60 cm
Melitta Nemeth
Night Swim
2022
40 x 30 cm
Though the figures in my works are inspired by found imagery, they are transformed through a process that reveals my emotions and ideas.
About the Artist
Chosen Charity
