Mademoiselle Matea

Happy World Collage Day with the works of Ladislav Valašek.

World Collage Day is an annual celebration initiated by Kolaj Magazine, to honor this intricate craft, held on the second Saturday of May.

Paper collage dates back to 10th-century Japan, where calligraphers glued paper fragments onto surfaces while composing poetry. Collage art exploded in popularity at the beginning of the 20th century, becoming closely tied to the rise of Modernism.

Ladislav Valašek (b. 1954) is a Czech artist known for his intricate handmade collages, created from fragments of old newspapers, books, and printed matter. After a career in foreign trade, diplomacy, and consultancy; and a lifelong passion for football, art remained a constant presence.

Creating collages is his daily ritual, dismantling printed histories and reassembling them into vivid, imagined worlds.

Martin Schongauer 'Study of Peonies' 1472

Martin Schongauer (c.1450–1491) was a German painter and engraver celebrated for his extraordinary precision and delicate linework, he helped bridge the medieval painting techniques with the early Renaissance mindset in Northern Europe.

In Study of Peonies (1472), Schongauer turns his attention to a simple plant, observing it with patience, accuracy, and quiet admiration. Flowers served as symbols in religious scenes, lilies meant purity and roses were for love. But his shift toward botanical realism marked an important moment in art history, where careful observation served both beauty and knowledge.

Toshiko Hishida 'A Glass' 1997

There is something so soothing about this paining.

Whilst a glass is an unusual subject for a still life, it's an amazing object to use to show how the light reflects.

Innocenzo Fraccaroli ‘Wounded Achilles’ 1842

Fraccaroli was a Neoclassical sculptor of the Canova school. He aimed to depict Achilles’ surprise at the very moment he was wounded in the heel.

A plaster cast of this work is on display at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Achille Forti in Verona. The marble version is in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan.

ILIAS SELFATI 'CHATAPÓDI (OCTOPUS)' 2025

Ilias Selfati is a Moroccan contemporary artist known for his expressive paintings that merge figuration with abstraction. His work often explores themes of instinct, nature, and the human psyche.

Through bold lines, fluid forms, and vibrant color palettes, Selfati creates creatures and figures that seem to move across the canvas, reflecting both the power and fragility of life.

Based in Tangier, his paintings have been exhibited internationally, establishing him as one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary Moroccan art.

SANDRO BOTTICELLI 'PRIMAVERA' late 1470/early 1480s

📍Uffizi, Florence

One of the most beautiful renaissance paintings, it depicts a group of figures from classical mythology.

The wind of early Spring blows on the land and brings forth growth and flowers, presided over by Cupid and Venus, goddess of love and beauty, joined by the Three Graces and Mercury, the messenger of the Gods.

The orange grove indicates that it may have been commissioned by the Medici's, and historical reports showed that it was indeed added in a Medici inventory report.

Centuries after it was created, this masterpiece can be seen by anyone visiting the alluring city of Florence.

MAGDA ABAZOVA ‘Summer II’ 1981

Magda Abazova (1923 - 2011) was a Bulgarian artist whose paintings explore emotion through color, movement, and symbolism.

Her work blends abstraction and figuration, creating dreamlike worlds where form and feeling intertwine.