Silvina Batista lives in a constant state of transformation, and this is clearly visible in her work “Self Portraits.” Since the end of 2019 her introspection has intensified, leading her to arrive at the ideal model—herself. 

Her work is raw, rough, and profound. Very often darkness becomes the starting point: solitude, skin, hidden desires… An enchanted garden, mirrors… 

Her home, her garden, and her history are always present. She does not forget; she feels and spits it out. 

Silvina often cites Francesca Woodman as an inspiration for her work. I believe there is a beginning in these self portraits, a reference that later ceases to be Woodman in order to become an authentic Batista. She no longer generalizes fears; she makes them flesh. With each work there is also a need to show herself to the world as she is—how her body and soul truly are. For artists, this is also part of their healing process. 

There are no subtleties here. There is directness. There is a saying of things face to face. There are screams in every image, a search for salvation, for recognition. 

We can divide these series into three parts. The photographs are always digital but in some way simulate an analog look. Technically the work is approached with one or at most two shots, with a craft reminiscent of earlier times, before the digital era, as if working on film. The square format, like a medium format 6×6, gives the series a certain classicism. 

The first stage brings together most of the works, with a carefully treated black and white and a certain irreverence toward standard compositional rules. Silvina tears off her own skin and reveals what lies inside. During times of confinement and pandemic she manages to encounter herself, to investigate beyond her own body, re recognizing who she is. 

In the following stage color appears—subtle at first, almost timid—yet it becomes aggressive and strong, as if to say: I am here, there is life, there is resurgence. Certain things and certain moments begin to be painted. There is a mixture of surrealism and unreality present in every image of each series. 

The final stage shows a Batista who, through double exposures, transforms one reality into another story. She merges with the context, with the forms that surround her. She unfolds as if she were in two places at the same time. Silvina becomes a whole. 

Self knowledge is essential in order to reflect oneself in the outside world: “I search outside for