"I am interested in shame and the mechanism of repression, and how that manifest through unconscious biases and coping skills which control behaviour and belief. Self-image function as reference and point of departure for my paintings, in my effort to unearth the personal mechanism of suppressed emotion. The act of cropping reduces noise and limits context, and allows me to approach that which otherwise would feel overwhelming.
As the body holds on to memories of experiences, the shame lies in the flesh even if it did not originate there - the body is not the source; it has simply taken on the burden of being the placeholder. For a long time I believed that shame was something inside me, something to fix. That in order to be good, I would need to do everything right. Controlling the body became a way to cope with unworthiness, providing a sense of agency in the face of the seemingly unbearable.
The title of the exhibition, ‘Only Tears Can Quench These Flames’, represents the idea that certain issues can only be solved through bodily release. Engulfed in a pit of fire, burning up inside, consumed and devoured, intellectualising will only get you so far. Our beliefs shape our reality, and reality becomes a mirror, as we reflect and project, in a continuous feedback loop. Only when we accept those parts of ourselves that we keep hidden, will the grip ease and the mirror fade. The act of painting gives value to that which I believed had none." - Kaja Stumpf 2025