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Artist: Olivia Chigas
Olivia Chigas’s work draws heavily from early 20th-century artists who grappled with the themes and aesthetic projects of modernist movements while maintaining figuration and representation in their work. Influences from artists such as Tamara de Lempicka's geometrically stylized figures and textures; Giorgio de Chirico's dreamlike and uncanny spaces and compositions; and Edward Hopper's stark realism, depictions of urban life, and the emptiness of modernity all speak to a sensibility towards modern life that deeply resonates with the artist and inspires the creation of their own images building upon this mood.
Movie stills of women isolated in silhouette are used to create the Olivia’s own compositions, resulting in images that exude an air of mystery while maintaining a quiet intimacy. The women are frequently depicted holding a cigarette, which serves as a loaded visual metaphor for the artist. A cigarette can symbolize a prelude to a tender moment, escaping a bar with a friend for a moment of peace, or asking a kind stranger for a light. Conversely, it also represents alienation, emitting a curtain of insulting smoke prompting pointed coughs from passers-by who keep a wide berth. In this way, a cigarette becomes a useful allegory for the subjects of the paintings: yearning for connection while still existing in solitude.