Lan Breški
To Me Nothing Is Fine, Nothing Is Enough, 2024
series of drawings, charcoal and graphite on paper, 70 x 50 cm and 21 x 29,7 cm
courtesy of the artist
“The project is about how I see the world through my own work and weighed against how often I forget to be gentle with myself and the world around me. Routine and daily rituals have become a necessity as time to take care of one’s own space and growth has become very scarce and compromised by financial debilitation. How much of our work is good for us and how much harm does it do? The figures represent different states of my rituals: I sleep, I scream, I cry, I have sex, I work. Despite all this, I feel burnt out. How often do we forget the world when we are consumed by work or worries, how could we better contribute to the wellbeing of our ecosystem? The house pictured is not a shelter, but a station for people in capitalism. The exploration of the transient nature of life in the light of ecological challenges interweaves the eternal motif of “memento mori” with the seductive lure of capitalism. Through symbolic representation, art acts as the inevitable reminder of mortality, interwoven with the illusion of limitless consumption and success propagated by capitalism. We are not fine with anything. Is nothing enough for us?” (Lan Breški)
Produced in the framework of the EMPACT project with support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
from the series of drawings, charcoal and graphite on paper, 70 x 50 cm, courtesy of the artist, photo: Luka Obal
Lan Breški (b. 2000) works in drawing, tattooing and printmaking. Through drawing and visual theory he discovered the possibilities of inventing his own stories, stories that leave the viewer with traces of compassion and rawness, exploring various themes such as death, coming of age, martyrdom, and sorrow. Breški graduated from the fashion design programme at the Secondary School for Design in Maribor and later trained as a tattoo artist. His tattoos are often based on his drawings. His years of studying Victorian clothing, behaviour, and photographs have contributed to his drawing style, with which he tries to evoke nostalgia for a time we never really experienced. More specifically, one could say that through the use of surrealistic elements and contrasts between black and white, his drawings and prints reveal a beauty to the viewer that they may not otherwise perceive, or a line where one is not drawn. He became interested in tattooing when he came to realise the similarities between clothing the body and the way permanent tattoos can affect the body’s proportions and self-image. He currently works at Mak Tattoo Studio in Ljubljana.
