Conceptual Erased Profile Portrait on Coin. Memory Loss. "Currency #230"

"Currency #230" from Natasha Lelenco’s Currencies series is an acrylic work on a 26 cm diameter wooden panel. This piece features a surrealist profile portrait in vibrant green tones against a magenta background. The figure’s face is deliberately erased, symbolizing themes of memory loss, decontextualization, and the feeling of emptiness associated with foreignness. Surrounding the figure is an inscription that has been consciously crossed out, reinforcing the concept of erasure and the loss of identity for those experiencing displacement.

As with all pieces in the Currencies series, the artwork incorporates an arbitrary price, playing with the notion of value in relation to human life. Although all works in the series are of the same material and craftsmanship, each has a different price. This reflects the arbitrary value placed on individuals based on their origin or social class, echoing the inequalities found in real life.

The artwork can be displayed individually or alongside other pieces from the Currencies series.

Keywords: erased face, identity loss, surrealist portrait, migrant art, memory loss, decontextualization, arbitrary pricing, social class, acrylic on wood, circular panel, Currencies series, Natasha Lelenco, contemporary art, foreignness.