My bachelor’s thesis Catharsis explores the process of purification, placing emphasis on deeply personal expression through painting as a means of processing repressed emotions. It reflects on my previous works, in which I explored the themes of the bathroom, purification, natural elements (willow and water), and human fragility (porcelain). The symbolism of catharsis is expressed through fantastical figures - willow creatures (vrbáči), mistletoe, and porcelain figurines - all of which refer to inner transformation, the fluidity of identity, and memory. The paintings function as a visual diary of an internal process in which dreams and symbolic narratives become intertwined. Traces of paint, flowing down the body, feed the willow trees. Parasitic mistletoe becomes the bearer of stories. The spaces of the bathroom and nature mirror, overlap, and collide with one another —— while the catharsis brought about by rain unfolds chaotically, the catharsis within the bathroom repeats itself in a rhythmic cycle. The paintings capture moments of fragile connection —— between mother and child, and between the individual and something that transcends them. I perceive the act of painting itself as a form of therapy and introspection, a space in which catharsis takes place —— bringing both relief and insight.
