Yelena Myshko

My artistic practice is grounded in lived experience. As a woman I have a subjective point of view, as a feminist I use it as critique on social construction of art. I am a parrhesiast that speaks her truth no matter the consequences, establishing a polemic relationship with the World. I locate existential tension points within my socio‐cultural environment and project them on my body, creating a subversive perspective on the female nude. My aesthetic choices could be described as Dirty Realism, like the literature genre. I implode mundane aspects of ordinary life and turn them into a weapon to destroy beauty. Using no make-up, everyday objects, and blunt body language I create a reductionist vocabulary. The challenge is to use simple means in resourceful ways.

During Naked State, I will explore the limits of art-historic body language. The idea is to present my body in classical poses like Adlocutio, Composite, Contrapposto, Odalisque, Pudica and Serpentine. This approach appeals to me because it is a way to create art without any materials. I will use only body language to create the artistic dimension and capture it with a camera.

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Yelena Myshko was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is based in Arnhem, the Netherlands. She is an “engaged feminist maker” in the areas of art, fashion and theory. Myshko is an autodidact performance artist since 2010. She was recently nominated for several European Awards for young artists. Her work is published in the news, magazines and books.