As autumn descends and the nights draw in, we are all bound to be spending more time tucked up at home. Paola Ciarska’s intricate paintings celebrate this notion by depicting female-dominated households inspired by actual dwellings and the treasured possessions of their owners. Akin to Rear Window voyeurism (for the morbid) or dolls’ house intricacy (for the romantic) these architectural cutaways are filled with objects that speak to 90s nostalgia, current-day obsessions and even famous works of art–think the Simpsons, lava lamps, Netflix and Vermeer posters. Ciarska usually depicts the inhabitants alone and fully nude (save for sharing their domain with languishing pets) and are seen utilizing multiple technological devices, all of which speaks to a contemporary life that is both isolating and hyper-connected.
