Pauline Marcelle’s series Catharsis expresses in vibrant color and form the hopes and wishes the artist has for herself, and for society, after the last difficult pandemic years. Marcelle takes her art in a new direction, with massive individual figures, as opposed to the familiar artworks where groups of people are intricately staged. Here is a celebration of life, of the individual’s triumph over adversity. The figures wear elaborate headdresses, which give them a shamanistic and magical aura. It is as if the life force itself is bursting out of them and transferring itself to us. They are striding across the scene, or squatting, or posing. The figures seem to want to express their vitality and passion for life in every way. A catharsis is a purification that results in spiritual renewal. It also signifies the elimination of a neurotic condition, hidden in the subconscious, by giving it expression.