Boudoir RF Alvarez, Bre Andy, Emiliana Henriquez, Oh de Laval, Yann Leto, Elena Redmond, Vanessa Santiago, Alexander Skats, Lauryn Welch. Installation view
Boudoir
RF Alvarez, Bre Andy, Emiliana Henriquez, Oh de Laval, Yann Leto, Elena Redmond, Vanessa Santiago, Alexander Skats, Lauryn (Red) Welch
Curated by Domenico de Chirico
Curated by Domenico de Chirico
Andrea Festa Fine Art is pleased to present Boudoir, a group exhibition curated by Domenico de Chirico, bringing together works by nine artists who investigate the evolving notions of intimacy, identity, sensuality, and the complexities of existential solitude.
Taking its name from the private space of a boudoir—historically a feminine realm of retreat, care, and sensual freedom—the exhibition reclaims and redefines this space as a symbol of personal autonomy and emotional honesty. The boudoir becomes both a real and metaphorical setting where vulnerability and power coexist, where the self is exposed and reshaped in dialogue with others.
Boudoir draws inspiration from existentialist philosophy—particularly Heidegger’s concept of Dasein (being-in-the-world)—and psychoanalytic theories of identity, gaze, and desire. As Jean-Paul Sartre asserted, the self is often revealed through the gaze of the other, mirroring back aspects of ourselves that were previously hidden. This duality—between self-perception and relational projection—is one of the exhibition's central tensions.
The sexual body, represented not only as a site of physical pleasure but also of emotional and psychological exploration, becomes a canvas of self-discovery and vulnerability. Pleasure, fragility, power, gender fluidity, and sensual defiance are all themes openly explored. As the Marquis de Sade once wrote, “certain effects transport us, set us on fire”—a notion of pleasure as an act of liberation and revolt against repression.
The artworks on display—ranging from provocative figuration to emotionally raw abstraction—investigate the intersections of the erotic, the spiritual, and the psychological. RF Alvarez and Oh de Laval tap into erotic surrealism, while Yann Leto constructs ironic narratives of voyeurism and identity. Emiliana Henriquez and Alexander Skats bring the emotional weight of loneliness and presence into the physicality of the body. Bre Andy, Elena Redmond, Vanessa Santiago, and Lauryn Welch explore themes of femininity, fluid identity, and personal mythology through bold color, gesture, and material.
Ultimately, Boudoir becomes a contemporary mirror—one that reflects the contradictions of being: alone but connected, desired and desiring, seen and unseen. It celebrates the pursuit of self-knowledge in its rawest form—through the body, through others, and through art.
