Composed by 3 diptychs of different sizes and styles, a series In Between collects the same relationship between two units and their dialouge each in a different form. In this storyline depicted characters show a phase of their journey; expressions and chosen pallette show their emotional state and symbols the spiritual one.

Particular attention is dedicated to the connection that the artist brings up under the theme of complementary relationship. It may be seen as the invisible mutual artwork that visibly affects both sides.

Created intuitively, with almost no vision of what final procudct may look like, Stropkaiová started her research. In this series she decided to invert the creative process from the traditional way in which the result is decided before starting the project to the opposite order. It was more important to discover the process gradually than to lead it mechanically.

After deciding that the process has come to an end and the series is finished, retrospectivelly looking at chosen motifs, shapes, colors, genders and expressions of painted individuals, the artist discovered to be creating based on pictures seen most frequently, music listened to, colors that she was surrounded by in the workspace, people that she encountered. It became a byproduct of everyday experience. Main role in this process played visual artist Nikk Martin, musician artist Montoya and his piece Eshu (Eshu*, also called Elegba, an essentially protective, benevolent spirit and a messenger between heaven and earth), practice of tarot and chinese traditional oracle I Ching.

The title In Between emerged sponteneously, moving around keywords heaven - earth - and while doing a research on this connection of words, one of the first results were guiding the artist to Taoism. In chinese philosophy* the fundamental triad of everything is created by Heaven, Earth & Humankind.

 

Heaven (tiān, 天) in Chinese philosophy refers to pure yang – the creative source. It relates to spirit/awareness

Earth (dì, 地) refers to pure yin – a wide-open field . Earth receives the motivating activity of Heaven, enabling it to manifest.

Humankind (rén, 人) –is the fruit of the union of Heaven & Earth.

 

First Heaven initiates, then Earth nurtures, then life emerges forth. Collectively, Tian-Di-Ren represent the structure of the cosmos; a process of how things come into being. As Laozi says, “the motion of Tao is return”*. A primary aspect of Taoist cultivation is returning human beings to pure yang. Shifting from the generative to the returning direction, which is called neidan or internal alchemy.