Eliška Konečná's velvet bas-reliefs debut at Eastcontemporary Milan

Czech artist Eliška Konečná (b. 1992, Dobřichovice) presents her first solo exhibition, 'A Dry Place to Fall,' at Eastcontemporary in Milan, promoted by the Czech Centre Milan. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts Prague in 2020 with a painting focus, she abandoned the brush for 'minor arts'—wood, textiles, and embroidery. Her unique technique involves dyeing velvet for extended periods, corroding its surface to achieve a watercolor-like effect reminiscent of Florentine paper marbling. The resulting works resemble Renaissance bas-reliefs, with velvet drapes set within picture frames. Konečná describes velvet as 'like human skin' with sufficient depth to reflect light and give color unexpected dimension. The exhibition develops overlapping narratives: each work tells two stories—one through embroidered velvet, another through color. Allegorical themes draw on classical mythology and explore fluids, liquidity, and sensual curves, referencing milk, honey, the human body, and dreams. Color selection is informed by Goethe's Theory of Colors. The exhibition runs at Eastcontemporary in Milan.