The exhibition will present a series of paintings focusing on the world of adolescents, their feelings of alienation and vulnerability. The topic of children's mental health has recently been appearing in the media, in sociological and psychological research, pop culture, and the film industry. Analyses examine whether the minds of adolescents are more affected by toxic social networks or global threats such as war, climate change, or technology. Or is it the fault of absent parents or a lack of free time? Aware of these challenges and using symbols referring to childhood, the artist creates nostalgic images calling for security, friendship, and love. However, this longing is disrupted in the paintings, and instead of joyful youth, a fragile feeling of unattainability remains. Martina Drozd Smutná understands her artistic work as a language through which she can talk about intimacy, vulnerability, and the everyday nature of personal stories, which do not stand isolated but are determined by socio-political phenomena. In her paintings, she shows how family, partner, and professional relationships are shaped by traditional gender roles. Her paintings cross the boundaries between the past, the present, and an apocalyptic future, in which the desire for change is mixed with disciplined inertia, the tension between power and powerlessness. Her predominantly figurative paintings are linked by the theme of social norms and expectations that we fulfil in our lives. The artist is interested in depicting social phenomena such as uncertainty and fear in a society where many people are unable to satisfy their basic needs. Martina Drozd Smutná understands her artistic work as a language through which she can talk about intimacy, vulnerability, and the everyday nature of personal stories, which do not stand isolated but are determined by socio-political phenomena. In her paintings, she shows how family, partner, and professional relationships are shaped by traditional gender roles. Her paintings cross the boundaries between the past, the present, and an apocalyptic future, in which the desire for change is mixed with disciplined inertia, the tension between power and powerlessness. Her predominantly figurative paintings are linked by the theme of social norms and expectations that we fulfil in our lives. The artist is interested in depicting social phenomena such as uncertainty and fear in a society where many people are unable to satisfy their basic needs.