In Memoriam Tamerza is the Fiftienth Artwork from the Metamorphoses series, depicting lovers in a forgotten Valley. Tamerza was the last Berberian village in Tunis. In the heart of Tunisia’s embrace, where whispers of history linger, Alenka Kham Picman’s brush unveils a portrait of Tamerza – a mountain oasis, once adorned by Romans as Ad Turres. A canyon weaves tales, cradling the remnants of an ancient town, abandoned after nature’s tumultuous dance in 1969. Here, where the river once flowed freely, a melancholic echo of the past resonates. Nestled near the Algerian border, Tamerza, a mere 70 km from Tozeur, basks in the rugged embrace of steep, untamed landscapes. The resilient town, kissed by the cascade of clear waters, beckons memories of its former glory. Drawing in beautiful harmony between orange and blue, painted with the hues of nostalgia, whispers the story of a town where time stood still, lovers frozen in ever lasting embrace.

Metamorphosis.

The central theme of Alenka Kham Picman's expansive painting series, METAMORFOZE Metamorphosis, revolves around the human oscillation between the earth and the cosmos, portraying an infinite wellspring of energy. Humanity, deeply entwined within this energy, embarks on a quest for identity and radical self-discovery, aspiring to merge with this cosmic force. The artist envisions this human journey as the odyssey of two lovers navigating a vast stream of energy-fluid that flows between the universe and the earth. This concept is translated into numerous scenes using pastel color pencils on paper.

The composition is segmented, with the upper part representing the cosmos and the lower part embodying the earth, shaped by the artist's recollections from travels through Northern Africa, Scandinavia, Dalmatia, the United States, Italy, Spain, and beyond. The artist's chosen path evokes echoes of "The Amazing Adventures of Nils Holgersson," a book by the Swedish Nobel Prize Winner, Selma Lagerlöf. In Alenka's rendition, geese are replaced by the flow of cosmic energy between lovers enveloped in radiant light.

The lovers traverse dark granite shores in Sweden, recall the blueness of Venetian lagoons, and rush towards the Côte d’Azur, through snowy peaks of the Pyrenees, across the vibrant colors of the Spanish landscape and Northern Africa. The artist dedicates a vivid painterly epic to the extraordinary landscape where the Atlas Mountains merge into endless deserts, once thriving with Roman cities, imperial granaries, and vibrant flora and fauna.

Tamerza, immortalized by Alenka in her paintings, transforms from a city threatened by torrents to a silent monument. Despite the desiccated landscape, new beauty emerges in vivid colors, lights, and shadows. Cliffs, remnants of a submerged sea, glow red, and once-floral hues turn into glistening thistles. A blue salt lake enlivens the sandy expanse, reminiscent of an Eden-like Paradise preserved in Matmata, ancient Latofag.

The painter explores landscapes with colors captured in amorphous or naturally related forms, aiming to convey a global impression imprinted in her memory. The palette, unintentionally rich in symbolism, utilizes orange for warmth, turquoise for contrast, green for reawakening, and violet for balance. Red-tinged capsules around lovers symbolize the fundamental essence of life.

Through METAMORFOZE, Alenka Kham Picman shares her travel memories, world view, and the transfiguration experienced in her spiritual growth, delving into the hidden depths of meaning.

By Dr Cene Avgustin, Ph.D.

ALENKA KHAM PICMAN is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture and the Academy of Visual Arts in Ljubljana, where she completed postgraduate work in printmaking. A professor of drawing and textile design at the Textile Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, she has also pursued her own artistic career, earning several national awards. She has participated in numerous exhibitions in Sweden, Serbia, Bosnia, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Japan, Tunisia, Croatia, Italy, France. Poetry, dreams, and imagination characterize Kham Picman’s oeuvre, always nurtured by the landscape and the artistic process.

From her collaboration with the well-known Slovenian architect Josef Plecnik, she retains a predilection for design that dictates the rhythm and energy of her work. Her work with Danish architects on large construction and revitalization projects has provided her with a new perspective on landscape, akin to Nordic architects. The light and colors of Mediterranean cities have also contributed to this distinctive viewpoint. Today, her art is a synthesis between dream and reality, drawn from her experiences, travels, and discoveries. In her work, Alenka Kham Picman explores the vast expanse of the imaginary to express vigorously and poetically the profound sentiments of humanity.

By Marie-José Bouscayrol