VIKA is a hand-built relief constructed layer by layer in sculpted modeling compound, transforming the painted surface into a tactile, dimensional body. The headless figure stands with arms crossed over the torso — a gesture that reads simultaneously as protection and containment.
 
The dense chromatic layering follows the anatomical structure, creating currents of color that trace muscle, breast, abdomen, and limb. Rather than idealizing form, the work maps transformation. The body becomes terrain — marked, textured, and consciously reconstructed.
 
Materiality is central to the work’s conceptual framework. The physical act of building the surface parallels the psychological process of reclaiming embodiment. Each applied strand reinforces presence through repetition, insisting on the body not as image, but as structure.
 
Within the curatorial philosophy of ArtSeeker Gallery, the piece engages contemporary discourse around female corporeality, autonomy, and post-maternal identity without resorting to spectacle. The absence of a head redirects focus toward lived physicality rather than portraiture.
 
Situated at the intersection of contemporary figurative practice and sculptural relief, the work resonates with collectors interested in materially driven contemporary art and female-centered narratives exploring transformation, resilience, and self-possession.
 
The vertical format and high-relief surface allow the artwork to function architecturally within refined interiors, where shadow and light interact with its dimensional texture.

Original artwork by Maria Makarova
Size: 27 ½ x 47 in | 70x120 cm
Size with frame: 28 ½ x 47 ½ in | 72 x 121 cm
Mixed media, plasticine, artboard, frame