Sunday Neurosis Reprise
Laura Pajunen, The Family Portrait, oil on canvas, diptych 2 *100 x 120 cm, 2021
“Sunday neurosis, that kind of depression which afflicts people who become aware of the lack of content in their lives when the rush of the busy week is over and the void within themselves becomes manifest.”
―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, 1946
Sunday neurosis describes a distressing, empty feeling that hits after the hustle and bustle of one’s week, just when it’s time to relax. This painting series, inspired by the distress of everyday life, presents seemingly serene resting figures in somewhat surreal settings.
The painting series emerges from the artist’s personal experience of the emptiness of everyday life and how to tolerate it, understand it and overcome it. Moreover, the paintings also deal with the values important for coping in everyday life and experiencing a more meaningful life: rest and some alone time.
The paintings are reconstructions of moments in everyday life, based on photographs. A large part of the expression of the paintings is formed by a semi-realistic but experimental use of colors that empathize emotions.
Laura Pajunen (1992, Ylöjärvi) is Helsinki-based visual artist. She graduated from Aalto-university in 2019 and holds an MA in art education. She is currently studying textile design in Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
After her graduation, Pajunen has worked the last two years mainly with oil paintings. She opened her artist career with seven solo exhibitions in 2021, has attended several group exhibitions and sold paintings to private collections.