Artsy Foundations 2026

Harsh Collective is pleased to present Face Value featuring Maria Katyanova and Masha Morgunova at Artsy’s Foundations. The presentation brings together two artists whose distinct treatments of surfaces complicate viewers’ understanding of their subjects by suggesting an ambivalent relationship to being regarded. Solemn imagery hides behind glittering ornament. Katyanova embellishes her compositions with alluring metallic details, at once a promise of hidden meaning and a veil over the painting beneath. Morgunova’s chain adornments frame her subject, literally and contextually, yet physically obscure them, holding viewers at arm’s length. Whether these shiny additions beg for attention on behalf of or act as a distraction from the figures beneath is unclear. Together, the two featured artists navigate the divide between the internal and the external, the surface and the self, resulting in a sense of tenuous stoicism.