Ksenia Pasyura, born in 1986, is a London-based visual artist and painter whose creative oeuvre is distinguished by its contemplation of the human body in all its forms. Pasyura's colourful and dynamic works feature a surreal blend of traditional portraiture and abstract expressionism, metamorphosing the body into unfamiliar flesh. Central to her practice is the profound investigation of the intricate interplay between the psyche and the body. Employing humour and carnivalesque motifs as her creative instruments, Pasyura's works exude a sense of complexity and irony, challenging viewers to question conventional notions of beauty and identity.
Pasyura's depictions of human figures, characterised by conspicuously wide, eerily ominous smiles, disproportionately enlarged feet, and contorted anatomies, noticeably lack conventional genders. This deliberate omission serves to render her subjects as beings with an otherworldly and caricature-like quality. It implies that the body transcends its corporeality, becoming a canvas that vividly manifests the workings of the human psyche and the complex tapestry of emotional interiors. With their folded extremities and amplified eyes, Pasyura's figures evoke a sense of unease, inviting the audience to question how we inhabit our bodies. These painted figures evolve into potent symbols, emblematic of the contradictions within the human condition.
Ksenia Pasyura confronts the contentious matter of the grotesque. Contemporary popular culture often marginalises bodies deemed unattractive or disfigured. Yet, Pasyura's artistic compositions, characterised by their grand scale and vibrant chromatic palette, challenge society's proclivity to overlook these ostensibly unsightly forms. Although visceral in their application, upon closer inspection, Pasyura's paintings unveil a nuanced narrative, wherein her protagonists exude an undercurrent of levity and jubilance, subverting conventional notions of beauty and inviting contemplation on the subjective nature of aesthetic perception.