Tanja Boukal: Do you also have pretty motifs?

Of Revolts and Escapes

People and their interactions in social contexts are at the center of Tanja Boukal’s (*1976) works. The artist is not so much interested in the outward impression people usually make and leave behind, but in what they are capable of when confronted with extraordinary situations: how do they arrive at possible solutions, what strategies do they pursue, and, last but not least, how much willpower do they need to achieve their goals?  And does that then also account for part of their joy in life, do they pursue happiness for themselves alone, or do they seek it together with others? For Boukal, every­thing begins with the notion of human dignity; her works focus on people who otherwise would remain mostly in the dark. These are often women who combine traditional crafts with creativity and a love of life. Tanja Boukal wants to give people space for such activities, they ought to be remembered by the viewers in that they create something mean­ing­ful; but the portrayed people themselves also benefit in their self-conception by contributing to Tanja Boukal’s art – a humanistic win-win situation that, in this case, actually deserves its name.