‘Inner Saboteurs’ is a collection of works that tell a story of artist’s struggle with understanding herself, her own personal as well as collective history, and the world she lives in. She is exploring past, traumatic events and how they transpire through our everyday lives. The questions raised often refer to integration and awareness of trauma, and how these events linger in our lives, even more so if we try to ignore them. These paintings are an invitation to embrace our tragedies and demons, and allow all of our parts to stand together equally in order to understand ourselves better. Lucija Zaja is a Sydney-based painter. She was born and raised in Croatia, but later she moved to Berlin which had a powerful influence on her. Most of her inspiration Lucija draws from violent history that both places faced, and the fact that even though life continued, these traumas will always be present and define their future. In her work, Lucija is exploring her emotional and mental landscape, her history and upbringing, and constant battle between good and bad in our minds. These polarities transpire through Lucija’s work, forming visual representations of her inner states. So far she has exhibited in Berlin, Sydney, and Melbourne.