Natasha Lelenco, Anthropomorphic Floral Portrait Painting with Hybrid Face and Botanical Motifs, 2026, Acrylic Painting

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This figurative painting belongs to Fetishes, a long-running series by Moldovan-born contemporary artist Natasha Lelenco, in which portraiture becomes a … Read more This figurative painting belongs to Fetishes, a long-running series by Moldovan-born contemporary artist Natasha Lelenco, in which portraiture becomes a site for exploring memory, desire and the symbolic construction of identity. Originally conceived in 2023 and revisited and reconstructed by the artist in 2026, the work reflects an ongoing process of revision that is central to Lelenco’s practice, where images remain open, mutable and subject to re-reading over time. The composition presents a hybrid face emerging from an accumulation of botanical forms. A stylized flower unfolds at the neck, while vegetal elements subtly infiltrate the facial structure, blurring distinctions between human figure and living matter. Executed in acrylic on panel mounted on a stretcher, the painting combines careful modeling of the face with flat, saturated fields of color, generating a tension between psychological intimacy and symbolic abstraction. Across the Fetishes series, Lelenco draws on popular iconography, kitsch references and biographical memory to construct anthropomorphic figures that function as visual condensations of personal experience. Flowers, plants and organic motifs operate not as decoration but as carriers of affect, evoking protection, vulnerability and transformation. These composite portraits resonate with historical precedents such as Arcimboldo, while remaining firmly grounded in contemporary figurative painting through their chromatic intensity and emotional restraint. The decision to revisit and reconstruct this work in 2026 reinforces the series’ engagement with time and remembrance. Rather than fixing meaning, the painting acknowledges the instability of images and the evolving relationship between the artist and her own visual archive. Designed to function as a standalone piece or in dialogue with other works from the same series, it lends itself to modular installations that expand its narrative and spatial potential. Medium: Acrylic on panel mounted on stretcher Dimensions: 60 × 60 × 4 cm Series: Fetishes Condition: Created in 2023, revisited and reconstructed by the artist in 2026 Installation: Ready to hang This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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