Ella Kruglyanskaya's Vanitas Paintings at Rome's Sant'Andrea de Scaphis
A solo exhibition of works by Latvian-born, New York-based painter Ella Kruglyanskaya (b. 1978, Riga) is on view at the deconsecrated church of Sant'Andrea de Scaphis in Rome. The show presents her signature depictions of health-conscious, fashionable female subjects rendered with sharp irony. Kruglyanskaya's style bridges Philip Guston and Alex Katz, employing a sublime cartoonishness that achieves timeless, incisive effects from a prosaic, sketchbook-like narrative register. The exhibition invokes the medieval and Baroque concept of vanitas, fittingly addressing human fragility. Several works stand out for their refined execution in the ancient technique of egg tempera. The historic, peeling walls of the former church amplify the worldly vitality of the paintings.
Key facts
- Ella Kruglyanskaya was born in Riga in 1978 and lives in New York.
- The exhibition is held at the ex-church of Sant'Andrea de Scaphis in Rome.
- Her paintings depict fancy, health-conscious female subjects with irony.
- Her style is compared to Philip Guston and Alex Katz.
- The show references the medieval and Baroque vanitas tradition.
- Several works are executed in egg tempera.
- The space's historic, peeling walls enhance the display.
- The exhibition is reviewed by Pericle Guaglianone for Artribune.
Entities
Artists
- Ella Kruglyanskaya
- Philip Guston
- Alex Katz
Institutions
- Sant'Andrea de Scaphis
- Artribune
Locations
- Riga
- New York
- Rome
- Italy