During the period of the full-scale invasion, Krystyna's creative practice was partly influenced by 4 artists: Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Francisco Goya and Gerhard Richter. They have a sense of reality that is close to Melnyk, as well as a strong influence of imagery, which she strives to achieve in her works. During a trip to Madrid, where the artist finally saw Francisco Goya's works in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Krystyna became convinced of her desire to create an altar. And on the way back, she started drawing one. It became the basis for the final monumental work on display at The Naked Room.
When creating the altar, Melnyk also relied on her impressions of Matthias Grünewald's works, a Northern Renaissance artist. Despite the obvious differences in style, form and historical context, these two authors have many similarities. Grünewald was the first to depict the body of Christ in a vulnerable way, which was a scandal at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. For Krystyna, the image of a body is a soul—that's why she perceives this body as an icon.
Since 10 January, you could already see the first part of the altar in our Kyiv space—on February 14 we invite you to finally view the completed piece by Krystyna Melnyk.