Vika Fifita — Memories and Marks
Much has happened in the two years since Vika’s last Handmark exhibition – motherhood, marriage, and moving state. These life-changing events are gloriously captured with vivid splashes of colour in Vika’s collection of new paintings.
Her one-year-old daughter, Hannah, is the star of Vika’s Memories and Marks exhibition. In One and Only the joy of Hannah’s birthday is infectious. “It also honours my husband Zaher who is a great dad, which is why I painted them together,” Vika explains. It’s a Monet, named after Hannah’s middle name, “is the first painting I did after her birth and it’s my favourite.”
Vika impresses with her bold neo expressive pop style inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. “I am intimidated by black and white and always gravitate towards vibrant colours.” Snippets of text reveal deeply personal emotions. “These paintings document my personal transformation.”
She recently moved to Brisbane, but home is always nearby. Thinking of Tasmania is Vika’s homage to teenage memories of “summers swimming and sunbaking at Launceston’s Gorge.”
Vika’s Memories and Marks exhibition is at Handmark Gallery from March 14 – 31.
Image: Vika Fifita, No olives only fear, 2024, Acrylic, ink, chalk on canvas, 87 x 87 cm