PAINTING
EKA OHRNER - NATENADZE
 
DETAILS
Ink, honey, and graphite on paper portfolio sheet
32X24
2026
 
DESCRIPTION
With Emphaticus, I have created an allegorical figure of empathy—a character to whom I feel a deep personal affinity. Here, the visage is not merely a facial expression but the visible manifestation of an inner attitude. The monumental figure opens its body to others: numerous small figures move across its arms, legs, and torso, which become bridges, pathways, and platforms for ascent. Empathy is not simply depicted—it is transformed into a spatial experience.
The composition unfolds in an upward movement. The small figures appear encouraged by the presence of Emphaticus to continue their journey, to rise, and to discover new perspectives. The central figure has grown larger than the surrounding planet-like forms. This scale does not symbolize power or dominance, but rather the capacity to create space for others.
From a semiotic perspective, the body, posture, and movement become signs of human connection. Amid carefully constructed, almost geometric forms, an emotional centre emerges. The figure does not assert itself through rigid order, but through compassion, openness, and humanity. It is precisely these qualities that make it visible.
The work brings together organic lines, graphic symbols, and geometric forms to create a visual world in which empathy becomes an active force. The visage becomes the reflection of an attitude that enables relationships and fosters community.
Even the slippers—or flip-flops—carry symbolic meaning. They evoke naturalness, comfort, security, and well-being: a state of being in which openness toward others can truly emerge.
Emphaticus presents empathy not as a sentimental ideal but as a dynamic force—the ability to support others, to open pathways for them, and to create connection through one's own presence. Within the exhibition Visage, the face thus becomes the expression of one of humanity's most profound qualities.