Wynnie Mynerva’s monumental Story of Revenge 2, 2021, expresses empowerment and sexual liberation. A protest of the sexual violence Mynerva witnessed and experienced in their home country of Peru, the painting is semi-autobiographical, representing the artist in their current, empowered position. The present example is one of three mural-sized works from Mynerva’s series of the same title, first exhibited at LatchKey Gallery, New York in the artist’s solo show Sweet Castrator.
“This project has made me gain strength. It’s been a form of release, freedom, helping me heal.”
—Wynnie Mynerva
Painted in a lush pastel palette, Story of Revenge 2 is ignited by the tension between violence and dreamlike liberation. A sense of freedom and command is palpable in the artist’s energetic application of paint, which they have described as a cathartic release of past traumas. In the composition, three loosely defined figures form a cluster of entangled limbs set before towering legs wearing bold platform heels. The artist’s gestural style deliberately creates an obstacle to passively consuming the female forms in a manner analogous to the vivid, multifocal paintings of Cecily Brown.
Mynerva’s boundary-pushing painting and performance has garnered critical and institutional recognition, including their solo show The Original Riot at the New Museum, New York last year. Phillips successfully introduced the artist to auction with their 2022 work Bailo mi ritmo, pero no me detengo. Mynerva will present a solo show at Fondazione Memmo, Rome later this year.
