Born in Croatia, artist Emanuela Lekić received her BA and MA in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. While working primarily with paint, Lekić creates her own three-dimensional models and staged environments, which she uses as physical references for her painted scenes. “Marvelous Problems” is a series that explores the dual nature of shelter as both a sanctuary and a potential trap. The works draw on the visual language of paper theatre, which becomes a metaphor for the fragile boundaries constructed around our lives: what is revealed and what is concealed, what protects us and what leaves us exposed.

“The theatrical settings reflect on displacement, belonging, and housing, considering how the spaces we inhabit are shaped by both desire and fear. The carefully constructed, almost idyllic environments gradually become unsettling. When something appears too beautiful, ordered, or perfect, it can cross into a realm of unnaturalness, revealing an underlying tension beneath its surface. Through this contrast, Marvelous Problems considers how beauty and discomfort can coexist within the same image, inviting reflection on the fragile balance between safety and vulnerability.”

Emanuela Lekić participated in our 2026 Book Award open call and made our shortlist.