Driven by an interest in visualizing collective memory, Polka’s work uses the language of allegory to create images rooted in the present while threaded to history, culture, and tradition. Using the masks and ritual costumes of pre-Christian paganism, historical trauma is connected to contemporary political movements in dense multi-layered compositions referencing 17th century vanitas paintings. Rendered in muted hues punctuated by vivid red accents of blood and flame, these images offer a nuanced examination of the pathology of violence and white supremacy in America, from its colonial past to the current political moment.

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