WHAT’S THE MATTER

a solo exhibition by Daria Baluta

2 - 23 April 2026

Synesthesia | Pigmented resin on acrylic | 50cm x 65cm.

WORLDART is pleased to present What’s the Matter, the first solo exhibition by Daria Baluta, from 2-23 April 2026 at the gallery in Cape Town. Baluta is one of the ten winners of the 2025 WORLDART10 competition, an initiative established by WORLDART to identify and support promising emerging artists.

This exhibition marks an important milestone for the artist, introducing a new body of work that centres on her distinctive use of epoxy resin and pigment. While resin has become a popular material in design and craft practices, very few contemporary painters have adopted it as a primary fine-art medium. Baluta has developed a technique in which layers of resin and colour interact to produce luminous, glass-like surfaces that appear to shift with changing light and perspective.

Through this process, the works achieve an unusual sense of depth. Pigment flows and merges beneath translucent layers, creating compositions where colour, reflection and movement become central elements of the image. The material itself plays an active role in the final outcome, allowing chance and fluidity to shape the work alongside the artist’s intention.

The exhibition title, What’s the Matter, reflects Baluta’s interest in both the physical properties of her medium and the inner processes of thought and emotion. The layered structure of the works echoes the idea of transformation—how materials, like the mind, can evolve and take on new forms over time.

Born in Russia, Baluta moved to South Africa in 2008, where she began refining her painting practice. Her work often draws inspiration from natural phenomena such as clouds, water and light, resulting in images that balance abstraction with emotional presence.

As a WORLDART10 winner, Baluta represents a new generation of artists being introduced to collectors through the programme. Her debut solo exhibition signals the next step in what is shaping up to be a compelling artistic trajectory.

What’s the Matter will be on view upstairs at WORLDART from 2 to 23 April 2026.

68 Long Street (corner Shortmarket Street)

Cape Town, South Africa

For more information, contact Charl Bezuidenhout at info@worldart.co.za or on +27 (0)21 423 3075 or visit www.worldart.co.za