CONDO 2026 – Sylvia Kouvali x MATTA
Liliane Lijn, the back studio

17 January – 28 February 2026

For Condo London 2026, Sylvia Kouvali is delighted to host MATTA, presenting work by the artistic duo the back studio, alongside Lilith: Portrait of the Artist on Fire (2001), a sculptural work by pioneer artist Liliane Lijn.

Presented alongside the back studio is Lilith: Portrait of the Artist on Fire (2001) by London-based, New York born Liliane Lijn. The work is a deeply personal and mythologically charged sculptural work that draws upon the ancient figure of Lilith to explore themes of autonomy, rebellion and transformation. Lilith—demonised and rejected within both Christian and Judaic traditions—originates over 5,000 years ago in Ancient Sumerian mythology. Across cultures and centuries, Lilith has embodied a symbol of resistance to patriarchal authority. For Lijn, Lilith represents not a demon but a persistent presence within every woman: the original Eve, the first woman to refuse submission and assert independence.

Fire is central to the sculpture’s material and symbolic language. Its heat deposits carbon shadows across the silver nitrate patinated bronze surface, leaving visible traces of combustion and change. Carbon—fundamental to all living matter—functions as both residue and essence, marking the work as a testament to survival, regeneration, and life itself. Here, the figure undergoes transformation. The body becomes a site of nurturing and self-definition, generating a persona forged through endurance and consciousness.

Following Lijn’s own experience with breast cancer, Lilith: Portrait of the Artist on Fire, along with several other works Lijn produced in the early 2000s, stands as a powerful dedication to women who have faced the disease, honouring their strength, courage, and capacity for renewal. Lilith, as self-portrait, burns with passion and an unquenchable force of life.