Triumph Gallery presents THE FUNNIES, a solo exhibition of Yulia Krivozubova, which includes paintings and graphics, sculptures and installations.

Yulia’s concept for the exposition space is to include the viewer into a colourful and festive celebration with the cheerful ‘girls'. They are vigorous and carefree creatures that are totally free to do what they wish. Living outside the moral, social and cultural framework, they are far from lonely and, conversely, they are quite happy. As humans we are well versed in such inhibitions, instilled into us from early childhood — the ‘girls' know no such limitations. They represent the highest degree of will and audacity to live. Even in calling them the ‘girls', Yulia avoids any deliberate gender-oriented or feminist undertones. Gender is yet another social construct that the characters defy.

Yulia Krivozubova
From the series THE FUNNIES
2021
Hardboard, acrylic, gouache, varnish, epoxy resin
207 × 140 cm

Triumph Gallery presents THE FUNNIES, a solo exhibition of Yulia Krivozubova, which includes paintings and graphics, sculptures and installations.

Yulia’s concept for the exposition space is to include the viewer into a colourful and festive celebration with the cheerful ‘girls'. They are vigorous and carefree creatures that are totally free to do what they wish. Living outside the moral, social and cultural framework, they are far from lonely and, conversely, they are quite happy. As humans we are well versed in such inhibitions, instilled into us from early childhood — the ‘girls' know no such limitations. They represent the highest degree of will and audacity to live. Even in calling them the ‘girls', Yulia avoids any deliberate gender-oriented or feminist undertones. Gender is yet another social construct that the characters defy.

Most prominent in the personality and worldview of Yulia’s characters are the love of freedom and lightness, on the one hand, and, on the other, egocentricity, radical individualism, hedonism. They are not concerned with the earthly worries, the need of biological survival, or issues of socialisation. They are literally free to do anything they wish and engage harmoniously with the world, which they use merely as a resource and means for their mischief. The exhibition shows scenes from the routine leisure of these creatures: here are two of them laughing and playing around amid colourful balloons, here is someone five-headed coming out of a river, someone monstrously huge peeks from around a wall, and one of the ‘girls' savagely bites off the neck of a two-headed heron.

Yulia Krivozubova
From the series THE FUNNIES
2021
Hardboard, acrylic, gouache, varnish, epoxy resin
207 × 140 cm

Most prominent in the personality and worldview of Yulia’s characters are the love of freedom and lightness, on the one hand, and, on the other, egocentricity, radical individualism, hedonism. They are not concerned with the earthly worries, the need of biological survival, or issues of socialisation. They are literally free to do anything they wish and engage harmoniously with the world, which they use merely as a resource and means for their mischief. The exhibition shows scenes from the routine leisure of these creatures: here are two of them laughing and playing around amid colourful balloons, here is someone five-headed coming out of a river, someone monstrously huge peeks from around a wall, and one of the ‘girls' savagely bites off the neck of a two-headed heron.

Unlike people guided by the society, its judgement and rules, the characters in Yulia Krivozubova’s work do not have the need to live in a society or depend on it. They reject the social in favour of the inward-oriented interest. This is why to our eyes their grimaces may seem blown out of proportion, there to convey the sincere and rich emotions of the ‘girls'. The intensity of their lives is contrasted with the intent to live — passive, paralysed, senseless.

The ‘girls' are the hope for a better iteration of intelligent life, more aware, less inhibited, free of cultural expectations and limitations, which we as humans are doomed to (or drawn to). This hope seems to be coming to life right before us, but without us.

Curators: Artur Knyazev, Irina Korzh

Yulia Krivozubova
From the series THE FUNNIES
2021
Hardboard, acrylic, gouache, varnish, epoxy resin
207 × 140 cm

Unlike people guided by the society, its judgement and rules, the characters in Yulia Krivozubova’s work do not have the need to live in a society or depend on it. They reject the social in favour of the inward-oriented interest. This is why to our eyes their grimaces may seem blown out of proportion, there to convey the sincere and rich emotions of the ‘girls'. The intensity of their lives is contrasted with the intent to live — passive, paralysed, senseless.

The ‘girls' are the hope for a better iteration of intelligent life, more aware, less inhibited, free of cultural expectations and limitations, which we as humans are doomed to (or drawn to). This hope seems to be coming to life right before us, but without us.

Curators: Artur Knyazev, Irina Korzh