Paolo KOZMA - self NON portrait #1

“Self-NON-Portrait #1” is an abstract self-portrait that refuses to behave like one.

The painting belongs to a larger series of twelve portraits, created while imagining and reinterpreting the faces of the twelve Apostles at the Last Supper. I was never interested in giving them historical or religious likenesses, but rather in imagining faces we can never actually know.

And then, somewhere between those twelve imagined faces, a thirteenth presence appeared.
Self-NON-Portrait.
Not another Apostle, and not quite myself either. A face caught somewhere between identity and invention, recognition and abstraction.

Somewhere along the way, that question turned back towards me.
I started with the idea of a face, but not with the intention of describing what I look like. Instead, I wanted to paint something closer to the experience of being a person: contradictory, layered, spontaneous, sometimes structured and sometimes completely out of control.

The large, almost monumental face is built in black, white and grey, then interrupted by an energetic network of colour. Pink, electric blue, orange, green and red lines cross the portrait like thoughts, impulses, memories, directions and detours. Some seem to connect things; others deliberately disturb them.

The face remains unmistakably present while never becoming completely accessible. The more you try to read it as a portrait, the more it turns into abstraction — and perhaps the more it starts to resemble someone else.

There is humour in the title too. “Self-NON-Portrait #1” is personal without being confessional. It is me, but it doesn't particularly care about looking like me. And although it emerged from my imaginary encounter with twelve faces from one of the most familiar scenes in Western art, this thirteenth presence deliberately refuses a fixed identity.

For me, the work is ultimately optimistic. Its apparent chaos is not destruction, but movement — the freedom of not having to remain one single, coherent version of yourself.
A portrait, perhaps.
Just not the obedient kind.

……………………..

The artwork will be shipped as a rolled, unstretched canvas for safe delivery. Packaged in tube box and wrapped properly.
Rolled works can be easily stretched (for canvas works, i.e. placed onto wooden stretcher bars) and/or framed by a local framer upon arrival completely normal for rolled canvas. Minor waves or creases may be visible upon arrival, which is completely normal for rolled canvas. These will disappear once the canvas is stretched or framed by a professional framer.

All my shipments will be made through DHL EXPRESS or a similar company, always trying to guarantee the safety, care and efficient delivery of the work. However, delays that may occur in the case of goods are beyond my control; I will always be attentive to tracking the shipment and any incident that may arise, being at the customer's disposal to provide appropriate assistance and support.

Thank you for your appreciation!