And how are you?

Originally, a part of this series was destined for the real estate fair 2020 in Vienna and was supposed to add an artistic note to the stall of Sotheby’s International Realty Austria – unfortunately the lockdown happened in the meantime – likewise, some of the cheeky faces were to come with me to NYC Affordable Artfair 2020 – which also had to be postponed 

Nonetheless, I was happy for the opportunity to present the series at the gallery Steiner Vienna from february 8th -28th  2021 

and finally 2022 Affordable Art Fair NYC took place and four original artworks had their big moment to shine :)

concerning the exhibition:

Elke Schmölzer - And how are you?

“The eyes are the windows of the soul.” Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

Time and again multifarious enigmatic faces find their way out onto the canvas, equipped with a varying number of eyes, which look at the viewers mysteriously and inquisitively, thus throwing them back on themselves by asking: and how are you?

The faces serve as a mirror and encourage an imaginary communication between the picture and its beholder – the question mark as an invitation to turn from passive recipient to active participant: Which of the faces resonates with me – the cheering or the grieving one, the twinkling or the marvelling one? Which state of mind can I relate to? How far am I ready to immerse myself in my own soulscapes?

These humorous and yet well-grounded snapshots of emotional states have meanwhile grown into a whole series, generating continuously new aspects.