Biljana Djurdjević

Dark is the Forest 

An exceptional, large-scale polyptych, Dark is the Forest is one of Djurdjević's major works to date. This work, consisting of5 large panels, is largely informed by 15th century incunabula that deal with philosophy and human relationships. The two exterior panels present human figures—a male and female—painted from a birds-eyeview perspective. Wearing nothing but white linen underpants, each figure is lying on a bed covered with leaves. 

The three middle panels depict woodland scenery devoid of human presence. The forest, in all its beauty and trepidation, is subject matter richin associations from fairytales, to horror stories, from the supernatural to the subconscious. It is a metaphor for uncontrollable and irrational fear, which serves as a reminder that, even if not explicit, violence is timeless and ever present. The unique combination of the human form and wild landscape is analogous to the overwhelming, subliminal sense of fear we harbor within us.  The scale of the work immerses the viewer in its environment, creating an illusion of density while producing an aura of the unattainable.