(2021/22)

In her series GIRLS, Peperski continues her exploration of the human face, translating her distinctive visual language into a new painterly form. The works present large to very large canvases on which female faces confront the viewer directly – a gesture of confidence, both from the artist and from the women portrayed. The faces are reduced to their most essential features. Eyes, brows, and hair remain, while mouth, nose, or any marks of individuality are deliberately left out. This reduction strips the portraits of volume and shading, replacing plasticity with clarity and line. In black gouache on white-primed canvas, the faces emerge as compositions of lines and points. No grey tones soften the contrasts; the images rely on the stark dialogue between black and white. What distinguishes these works is the physicality of their execution. Each brushstroke is unique, impossible to correct, and directly linked to the movement of the artist’s body. Long, sweeping lines demand full physical engagement, resulting in an immediacy and individuality that stands apart from mechanical precision. The visible strokes embody both fragility and presence, balancing control with spontaneity. The choice of gouache reinforces this tension. Applied on monumental canvases, the water-based medium conveys vulnerability and impermanence, contrasting with the scale and directness of the portraits. Photography remains the starting point: Peperski photographs women from her surroundings, then reworks these images digitally before projecting and tracing them onto canvas. Yet in the act of painting, the lines transcend their role as mere outlines, taking on their own rhythm and vitality. The result is a series of striking, reduced portraits that oscillate between presence and absence, strength and fragility—faces that look back at us with clarity, vulnerability, and unmistakable individuality.