Echoes of Self invites viewers into a dreamlike realm where identity is mirrored in myth, memory, and the surreal.
Andrea Festa is proud to present Echoes of Self, a duo exhibition featuring the works of Katia Lifshin and Eetu Sihvonen. Running from February 14 to March 18, 2025, the exhibition brings together two distinct artistic voices whose practices delve into the fluid nature of identity and the often surreal territories of the inner self. Through painting and sculpture, the show explores the interplay between the tangible and the imagined, the real and the dreamlike, offering viewers a rich visual dialogue on the presence of self in mysterious and symbolic realms.
Katia Lifshin, a Ukrainian-born artist raised in Israel, contributes five oil paintings that draw the viewer into a psychological and emotional world of surreal femininity. Her work is characterized by fluid, distorted human forms—most notably her iconic ‘girls’—whose limbs and hair twist in emotional tension, suggesting both vulnerability and resilience. These figures exist in a suspended reality, one that borrows from dreams, memory, and everyday life filtered through a psychedelic lens. The subtle yet evocative use of her signature blue and green palette adds a layer of calm mystery, prompting contemplation of themes like identity, transformation, and inner conflict. Lifshin’s paintings are narrative and symbolic, each canvas operating like a page from a visual diary where nature, emotion, and surrealism converge.
In contrast, Finnish artist Eetu Sihvonen presents six sculptures that combine wood, resin, and digitally rendered elements, evoking a tactile mythology rooted in storytelling and worldbuilding. Sihvonen’s work references the language of role-playing games, medieval relics, and traditional crafts, constructing an alternate cosmology populated by anthropomorphic beings and enigmatic objects. A recurring symbol in their sculptures is the egg—sometimes whole, sometimes fractured, often winged—surrounded by carefully composed arrangements of coins, weapons, ribbons, and talismanic fragments. These objects suggest a narrative beyond the material, inviting viewers into an imagined world where meaning is constructed through symbolism, craftsmanship, and fantasy. Their practice challenges the boundaries of reality and fiction, offering sculptures that serve as both relics and narrative devices.
Together, Lifshin and Sihvonen craft a space where echoes of identity reverberate through dreams, memory, and materiality. Their works, while aesthetically and conceptually distinct, complement each other in their shared exploration of selfhood as a layered and mutable experience. The exhibition not only highlights the individual practices of two emerging international artists but also creates an immersive environment that encourages viewers to confront the mysterious dimensions of their own inner lives.
