Dusa Jesih, Crossroads, acrylic on mdf, diptych 2x50x50cm, 2022

Duša Jesih's Polyptych Painting Crossroads
Duša Jesih's polyptych painting Crossroads is a striking and enigmatic work of art. The painting consists of two cross-shaped pieces, installed diagonally one by another, looking like a warning sign or an icon. The crosses are painted in a bold black-and-white contrast, with the background rendered in a more muted palette.
The painting can be seen as a meditation on the nature of choice and the different paths that life can take. The two crosses suggest a crossroads, a point where one must choose between different directions. The black-and-white contrast of the painting further emphasizes the starkness of this choice.
Jesih's work is distinctly postmodernist, drawing on influences such as Malevich's touch, constructivism, Gestalt perceptions, and kinetic derivatives. However, her work is also highly personal, and she uses these influences to create her unique vision.
In Crossroads, Jesih's use of form and surface is particularly masterful. The two crosses are simple in shape, but they are rendered with a great deal of sophistication. The artist's use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and movement, and the overall effect is both powerful and haunting.
Jesih's work is a constant exploration of the relationship between the visible and the invisible. She is interested in how we perceive the world around us, and how our perceptions are shaped by our own experiences and memories.
In Crossroads, Jesih invites us to contemplate the different paths that life can take, and the choices that we make along the way. The painting is a reminder that we are all at a crossroads in our lives and that the choices we make have a profound impact on our future.


Dusa Jesih, Way Up, 2022-23 | Charlotte Perriand, Console for Maison de la Tunisie, Paris, circa 1950 Dusa Jesih, Hommage a Chet, 2022-23

Jesih's polyptych painting Way Up from her series The Memory of the Visible and the Touch
Duša Jesih's Way Up is a thought-provoking work of art that explores themes of memory, perception, and representation. The painting consists of two skyscraper-like pieces, installed in a pair of architecturally built forms, standing still, like the WTC twins.
Jesih's work is distinctly postmodernist, and she uses a variety of influences to create her unique visual language. The painting's title, Way Up, suggests a sense of aspiration and ambition. The skyscrapers in the painting can be seen as symbols of human achievement and progress. However, the painting also has a darker side. The reinforced verticality of the phallic shape can be seen as a symbol of power and authority, and the standing still position of the towers can be seen as a symbol of stagnation and death.
The painting's architecture also evokes a sense of place. The Twin Towers in New York City are a powerful symbol of American power and ambition, and their destruction in the 9/11 attacks was a defining moment in world history. The painting's title, Way Up, can be seen as a reference to the towers' former glory and their tragic fall.
Jesih's work is a complex and multi-layered work of art that can be interpreted in many different ways. Jesih's use of the phallus shape is particularly noteworthy. The phallus is a symbol of both power and vulnerability, and Jesih's use of this symbol suggests that both of these qualities are inherent in human nature. The standing still position of the towers can also be seen as a metaphor for the fragility of human life.
The painting's black-and-white palette is also significant. Black and white are often seen as symbols of good and evil, life and death. Jesih's use of this palette suggests that both of these forces are present in the world.
Way Up is a powerful and evocative work of art, a complex and multi-layered work of art that can be interpreted in many different ways. Jesih's use of the phallus shape, the standing still position of the towers, and the black and white palette all contribute to the painting's meaning. Way Up is a work of art that challenges us to think about our perceptions and the way that we construct our reality.

Dusa Jesih, Grip, 2022-23

Dusa Jesih, Assumption , acrylic on canvas, poliptych 120x73cm, 95x73cm, 2022-23

Two slender blue and white crosses float on a white background in Dusa Jesih's polyptych artwork, "Assumption," from a cycle  "The Memory of the Visible and the Touch." The crosses, rendered in minimalist brushstrokes, appear to be suspended in mid-air, their verticality suggesting flight. The beige-white and navy blue palettes evoke the sky and the earth, respectively, further emphasizing the sense of ascension.
The two canvases of the polyptych are identical, yet slightly offset from each other, creating a sense of depth and movement. The viewer is drawn into the painting as if invited to join the crosses on their journey between heaven and earth.
Jesih's use of the cross as a symbol of flight is both literal and figurative. On the one hand, the cross is often associated with death and resurrection, suggesting a spiritual journey. On the other hand, the cross's verticality suggests a physical journey, as if the crosses are soaring upwards towards the heavens.
The minimalism of Jesih's paintings is both striking and evocative. The use of limited colors and simple forms allows the viewer to focus on the essential elements of the work: the crosses, the sky, and the earth. The result is a painting that is both contemplative and uplifting.


Duša Jesih, Kismet, acrylic on MDF, 64x68cm, 2023

Dusa Jesih's "Kismet" evokes a sense of mystery and wonder. The painting's minimalist aesthetic and monochromatic palette emphasize the symbolic nature of the composition, while the use of geometric forms and contrast creates a sense of rhythm and movement.
The horizontals and verticals suggest stability and order, while the diagonals introduce a sense of dynamism and unpredictability. This contrast of elements mirrors the duality of kismet, which can be both benevolent and capricious.
At the center of the composition is a black form that resembles an upside-down letter K. This form is juxtaposed against a white background, creating a stark contrast that evokes the duality of night and day. The form's central position within the composition suggests its importance as a symbol of kismet, or fate.
"Kismet" invites viewers to contemplate the role of fate and free will in their own lives, exploring the complex relationship between these forces and the human condition.

Dusa Jesih, More or less, acrylic on canvas, 185x256cm, 2022-23

Dusa Jesih, On and off, acrylic on canvas, 185x256cm, 2022-23


Duša Jesih, letnik 1977, rojena v Ljubljani se je začela formirati na specialističnem študiju slikarstva na Šoli za risanje in slikanje. Globlji poseg na njeno ustvarjanje izzoveta dodaten študij na Cité Intenationale des Arts v Parizu in magistrski Študij na Ljubljanski Akademiji za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje. Leta 2015 prejeme Študentsko Prešernovo nagrado. Razstavlja na številnih samostojnih in skupinskih razstavah, med raznimi tudi v galeriji Mirat & Co v Madridu, Miami Art Week - Art Basel, Art takes Soho v New Yorku, Galleri Weinberger Schandorff v Kopenhagnu itd. Avtorica je prepoznana in prisona na umetniški sceni tako doma kot v tujini.
Nedvomno so dela Jesihove izrazito postmodernistična, Rothkov pridih ali ko nstruktivističen pečat, Gestalt zaznave, kinetske izpeljanke so zgolj vzvod za avtoričino reprezentacijo. Površine in likovne prvine se odzivajo na materijo, ki jo avtorica neprestano gnete na kognitivni ravni, izsleduje in preverja vsakič znova ob lastnem pogledu znotraj ustvarjene resnice, oblik, podob.
Likovno se Jesihova dela odzovejo v formalni govorici s prečiščeno kromijo izbranih tonov, več ali manj mono in bikromatskih koloritov. Oblika in površina tvorita njen lasten pogled, sled in izsledek prefinjenega določanja spodbude dražljajev v izvedenih umetniških delih.
Tilen Žbona, 2023

Duša Jesih, born 1977, in Ljubljana, began her studies at the School of Drawing and Painting, specializing in painting. Further study at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and a master's degree at the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and Design provoke a deeper intervention in her creation. In 2015, she receives the Student Prešeren Award. She exhibited at many solo and group exhibitions, among others at the Mirat & Co gallery in Madrid, Miami Art Week - Art Basel, Art takes Soho in New York, Galleri Weinberger Schandorff in Copenhagen etc. The artist is well recognized on the art scene both at home and abroad.
Undoubtedly, Jesih's works are distinctly postmodernist, Rothko's touch or constructivist stamp, Gestalt perceptions, kinetic derivatives are only a lever for the author's representation. Surfaces and artistic elements respond to matter, which the author constantly kneads on a cognitive level, traces and checks each time again with her own view within the created truth, forms, images.
Artistically, Jesih's works respond in a formal language with a refined chroma of selected tones, more or less mono and bichromatic colors. The form and surface forms her own view, trace and result in a sophisticated determination of stimulus, performed in her works of art.

Tilen Žbona, 2023
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