Toxic Breakup

Gel transfer, graphite, mixed media on canvas; monumental scroll format

In Toxic Breakup, Orlova constructs a grid of repeated photographic fragments depicting her own torso, overlaid with handwritten and typed language extracted from a hostile intimate relationship. The repetition transforms the image from a singular body into a field of exposure, echoing the relentless circulation of emotionally abusive communication—texts, accusations, apologies, and threats.

The work reframes the breast, historically loaded with erotic and symbolic meaning, as a site of vulnerability and resistance. Clenched hands suggest self-containment rather than invitation, while the accumulation of words functions as a record rather than a narrative. No single message dominates; meaning emerges through saturation.

By adopting a serial format associated with archival, forensic, and conceptual practices, Orlova shifts private trauma into public evidence. Toxic Breakup situates emotional violence within systems of repetition and visibility, asking how intimacy collapses into control when language becomes a weapon.