Adriana Seserko | Morena
Morena 2022
71 x 71 cm
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Signed
$6,600
The Russian goddess of winter and death, Morena is the embodiment of all that is cold and dark. Slavic mythology tells of how Morena seduces the sun god Dazbog. With time, the sun god loses interest in Morena’s affections and takes on a new lover. This of course infuriates the jilted Morena, so in her quest for revenge, she attempts to poison the sun god. As punishment, Morena is burnt by Dazbog and banished to the underworld. The transition into winter is therefore interpreted as a consequence of Morena’s embrace of Dazbog, with the sun declining into the depths of the underworld during wintertime. Winter gives way to Spring only once Dazbog manages to break free of Morena’s grasp.
Since the splitting of the atom, warfare has the potential to terrorise on a nuclear scale. History has revealed the utter devastation and horror of going nuclear, with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US in 1945, during WWII. The nightmarish aftermath of these bombings exposed a severe reality, one that saw hundreds of thousand of people perish, cities and environments fully destroyed, and the long term fallout of high levels of radiation on the land and its people.
With Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, the world again faces a possible catastrophe not seen since the second World War. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has stated that he is not opposed to using nuclear arsenal if NATO countries directly challenge Russia in the Ukraine with military force. The reluctance of these countries to intervene shows just how dire the situation is. The injustice is that the Ukraine must fight this conflict alone and suffer the consequences of invasion, and the world can only watch and condemn. It is true that aid has been given to the Ukraine with many countries donating weaponry, food, and medical equipment. This has helped to bolster the Ukraine’s efforts, yet without Russia’s threat of nuclear retaliation, the assistance of military support from allies may have shortened this conflict by months and seen less human fatalities. Everyday this war goes on, the risk of nuclear reprisal remains.
I painted Morena to symbolise nuclear winter. Tread carefully now, for her reign will see the world plunged into complete darkness, so great is her power. Do not be seduced by Morena’s charm. To do so will only lead to misery and death. Remember too that Nuclear force is no solution, no matter the situation. To go nuclear is to willingly step into Morena’s all consuming embrace.
Adriana Seserko
Born: 1990
Adriana has been painting most of her life. Her attention to the finer detail gives her the ability to create beautifully rendered masterpieces.
Her works often engage the viewer with a moral value, she believes strongly in the preservation of our planet and painting provides her with an instrument in which her views can be expressed to the greater community
