The thesis examines the concepts of cuteness and nostalgia in relation to the bathroom interior and their potential influence on the viewer’s perception of an artwork. The theoretical section explores the historical development and psychological foundations of cuteness, its relationship to kitsch, and its application in contemporary art. Nostalgia is examined through its associations with childhood, keepsakes, and collecting, while toys from my own childhood are interpreted as material manifestations of memory. The practical section presents a creative process in which photographs of bathrooms are transformed into imagined painted interiors through the use of digital collage, a saturated colour palette, patterns, and figurines. The juxtaposition of the private and functional nature of the bathroom with the elements associated with childhood and cuteness generates a sense of unease, which I describe as pink discomfort. The thesis investigates how familiar and ostensibly appealing motifs may attract the viewer's attention while simultaneously obscuring other formal and conceptual dimensions of the painting.
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