Fifty Shades of Black

This premier exhibition project by the visual artist and dedicated “missus teacher” reflects the half century of maturation of a woman who sees her life-long mission as the effort to bring art closer to the viewer and expand their inner worlds. The exhibition is presented as part of the Jubilees cycle of exhibitions.

The work of Eva Čarnoká ranges across graphic experimentation, photography, videos, happenings, object art and light installations. In the spirit of Jean Dubuffet’s vision, the artist embraces the unschooled artistic creativity of children, young people, adults and the elderly. She creates interactive artworks which encourage their viewers to break down their thoughts and feelings, a process which can facilitate their own self-expression. Her works often include texts with tasks which can lead to a fuller understanding on the part of the viewer.

The title of the exhibition, Fifty Shades of Black, indicates the tendency towards recession and the attempt to mitigate problems through a positive approach. The artist regularly applies humour in her work, often parodying herself, and the title can refer either to her milestone fiftieth birthday or to the well-known romantic film Fifty Shades of Grey. The colour black also symbolizes the sorrow experienced in life (the loss of a loved one, serious illness, pain…) which is revitalized in the exhibition through texts aimed at promoting positive thinking. The texts are written in Educational Font (skolskepismo.sk), evoking the school environment. The human body and its healing are also the subject matter of Čarnoká’s art, in addition to the idea that the hospital can be a place of inspiration and of creative residency, with art emerging as a means of communicating the importance of preventative care for the body. The exhibition is retrospective, changing over time through the interventions and reactions of the people who gradually complete her works through their own writings and drawings. In Fifty Shades of Black, the artist presents her key works and also other pieces which feature in the collection of the Gallery of Spiš Artists.

Author profile 
Eva Čarnoká, previously known as Eva Tkáčiková (alias E. T.) was born in Žilina in 1974. In 2000 she completed her studies under doc. Vojtech Kolenčík at the Studio of Free and Color Printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. She has participated in various art projects, symposia and both solo and group exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, France, Lithuania and Spain). Her work has featured in the international White Nights project (in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2014) and the Pohoda music and arts festival (2015). She currently lives and works in Kysak and is a member of the o. z. STROJ art community in Košice.   evacarnoka.com