Zofia Kulik. The Splendor of Myself

Narratives about women artists usually point to the obstacles they face in the development of their artistic careers. In her article, the author proposes an analysis that concentrates on how a woman artist – Zofia Kulik – presented herself as the heroine of a successful story of emancipation in the series of works titled The Splendor of Myself (1997, 2015, 2017). The self-image she presents is paradoxical: we deal with both her ostentatious presence and her absence as her physical presence is hidden behind the gorgeous but extremely stiff dress. It corresponds with Kulik’s understanding of her success as directly related with the wealth of images and the mastery of composition.