Title: Therese

Date: 2023

Description: The portrait depicts St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The painting is part of the artist’s doctoral dissertation, titled Traces of the Goddess in the Web of Multiversum, and belongs to the “Summer” cycle. It was painted based on a photograph of the young Thérèse dressed as Joan of Arc, who described this connection as follows: “I felt a great desire to emulate her; it seemed as though I felt within me the same zeal that animated her, the same Heavenly inspiration” (St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Story of a Soul).

St. Thérèse is depicted in a red dress, symbolizing her strength as well as her connection to the suffering that was central to her path to holiness (the early loss of her mother and suffering from tuberculosis that caused her death.)

Color patches in the background indicate the flow of energy and St. Thérèse’s connection to the world. Circles marked by a thin, gray-violet line form around the figure; they symbolize her life space. It is filled with the spontaneity of experiencing deep, unconditional love, a quality possessed by young children. While painting this portrait, I experienced the strength and extrasensory power of St. Thérèse, symbolized by the left hand which is raised and tripled. This triplicity points to St. Thérèse’s ease in transitioning between dimensions, but also refers to the triple aspect of the Goddess: the Giver of Life, Regeneratrix, and the Death Wielder.

Technique, dimension: oil on canvas, 140 × 115 cm

First showing: 2026, Alina Foundation

Ownership: Monika Waraxa