OWN HERO Painting

The series "FACADE" examines the painstakingly curated reality that is served to painstaking curators of reality. Donia chose a fast, abstract stroke that is shaped by harsh contrast, black and white oppose pastel. Through the eyes and lips of otherwise dainty women protrudes a dominant black bar with white typography. There is an ode to street art as realities like “artist, lover, faith and hope” are amplified in an uppercase pronouncement. Donia abandons the careful elaboration typical of her earlier work and destroys what was once calculated and orderly. Anonymity reigns here as many of the faces are those of typical beauties flowing on the pages of lifestyles magazines. Here they are strangers, unrecognizable, out of context and subject to the human complexities: sometimes vulnerable, sometimes arrogant, often strong, sometimes weak. Where does the facade start and where does it stop? How does the examiner examine herself? What, if anything, do we reveal about ourselves? What is our public, social media sanctioned persona and how does it contrast with our actual experience of life? How do we stage and then live the perfect facade? Why are we so complicit in turning a blind eye to the blind eye that looks but doesn’t see, speaks but doesn’t say anything that hasn’t been said a thousand times before?