Dolce Paganne

Dolce Paganne is an artist from Istanbul who was born into a family of artists. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums across Europe and the United States, with press features dating from 2012. While her practice is rooted in physical media, she began presenting work on digital platforms in 2021. Her exhibition history includes solo presentations at institutions such as Galeri x ist in Istanbul. Her work appears in curated on line collections including hic et nunc and the Weird▲Klub Gallery Collection.

Paganne’s method combines traditional drawing with digital processes. She creates art works on paper using graphite, coloured pencil, and soft pastel. These compositions are then digitised, and in some cases, animated to create looping gifs such as `Cat Kingdom`. She often works in series to explore a particular theme or technique. The ‘Fog’ series, for example, is based on pareidolic responses to ink splashes, while the ‘Series of Tragic Portraits’ contains narrative figure studies. Other works directly reference twentieth century art history, as in `The Girl Who Got The Likes`, which is described as a tribute to Roy Lichtenstein.

The artist describes her thematic focus as turning fairy tales into night mares and researching the origins of fear. Her subjects draw from history, folklore, and psychology. The drawing `1692` is inspired by the Salem Witch Trials, while the title of `Where Bad Things Grow` alludes to an attachment to the void. A recurring vintage aesthetic informs the visual style, creating scenes that appear both familiar and uncanny. Through titles and accompanying notes, Paganne constructs narratives that are frequently open ended, inviting the viewer into surreal worlds where cheerful premises can acquire darker implications.