portraits Archives - MyTrendTales MyTrendTales Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:59:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 Indian Artist Draws Portraits of People He Encounters in His Everyday Life https://mytrendtales.com/indian-artist-draws-portraits-of-people-he-encounters-in-his-everyday-life/ Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:20:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=8707 Indian artist Akash Selvarasu is showing everyone that only a small, kind gesture is enough to bring smiles to people’s faces and make their day better.  Selvarasu is a talented artist who draws portraits of people he encounters in everyday life. This can be a random person on a train, a waiter, or just someone […]

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Indian artist Akash Selvarasu is showing everyone that only a small, kind gesture is enough to bring smiles to people’s faces and make their day better.

 Selvarasu is a talented artist who draws portraits of people he encounters in everyday life. This can be a random person on a train, a waiter, or just someone who happens to be sitting in a bar. But there is a catch; these people don’t know they are subjects of his artworks.

He observes them while they do their regular activities and captures their appearances with an impressive amount of detail using just pen and paper. After Selvarasu finishes his piece, he walks up to the person and gives them the portrait as a gift.

Selvarasu captures the reactions of strangers on camera and later shares them on his social media. It is heartwarming and captivating content, considering that everyone responds with a genuine surprise followed by a big smile on their face. There is no doubt that Selvarasu just made their day and gave them a memory they will cherish for a long time.

To see more videos of Selvarasu bringing smiles to people’s faces, continue scrolling.

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Robin F. Williams’ Portraits Are Truly in Your Face https://mytrendtales.com/robin-f-williams-portraits-are-truly-in-your-face/ Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:22:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7856 Hate it or love it, it’s hard to stay indifferent to Robin F. Williams’ paintings. Often alluding simultaneously to art history and pop culture, her portraits tend to feature striking women that command your attention. “The paintings are extravagantly in-your-face regarding execution, style, image, and social thrust,” remarked New York Times, chief art-critic Roberta Smith, […]

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Hate it or love it, it’s hard to stay indifferent to Robin F. Williams’ paintings. Often alluding simultaneously to art history and pop culture, her portraits tend to feature striking women that command your attention.

“The paintings are extravagantly in-your-face regarding execution, style, image, and social thrust,” remarked New York Times, chief art-critic Roberta Smith, when describing Williams’ work. “They take aim at the impossible idealizations of women in both art and advertising, depicting mostly nude and aloof androgynous supermodels, and the occasional feline, with a new kind of cool yet visceral bravura.”

Born in 1984 in Columbus, Oahio and now based in Brooklyn, New York, Williams holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Since graduating, she has attracted attention across the country, exhibiting both in solo and group exhibitions at PPOW in New York and Various Small Fires in Los Angeles.

Forever pushing the boundaries when it comes to her techniques, her work is cutting edge both in terms of style and execution. “I start with techniques I already have some mastery with, and then they evolve as I try to push them further,” she shared in an interview with Juxtapoz.

“My more recent mixed-media approach generates lots of interesting puzzles,” she admits. “To combine elements successfully, I need a plan. If I am staining raw canvas with acrylic, that has to happen first, then I have to draw my figures, then airbrush, then oil… every edge has to be mapped out in advance.”

According to Williams, this keeps her very engaged with the painting as every stage of the plan has high-stakes moments built-in. But even more than her unique style, it’s her portraits’ faces and expressions that make for a truly striking effect. “I am interested in micro-expressions and how we read each other’s cues,” says Williams.

“There seems to be a lot of illiteracy around body language and not enough acknowledgment that non-verbal cues can be, and sometimes have to be, very complicated. There is often a level of emotional intelligence that is needed to read these cues, and women are bathed in this knowledge.”

Scroll down to see some of her work and follow her on social media for more.

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Understanding Intimacy Through Art: Hiejin Yoo’s Paintings https://mytrendtales.com/understanding-intimacy-through-art-hiejin-yoos-paintings/ Mon, 12 Apr 2021 06:48:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7857 Describing intimacy to an outsider visiting Earth is as hard as describing color to a blind person. True intimacy is understood through experience, and negotiating feelings through words oftentimes dwindles a complex experience into syllables. And yet, through visual art, such feelings might be better understood. Take for instance Hiejin Yoo’s paintings. Based on daily […]

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Describing intimacy to an outsider visiting Earth is as hard as describing color to a blind person. True intimacy is understood through experience, and negotiating feelings through words oftentimes dwindles a complex experience into syllables. And yet, through visual art, such feelings might be better understood.

Take for instance Hiejin Yoo’s paintings. Based on daily observations, they capture mundane moments—snapshots in time—that make the tapestry of memory and feelings. Moments like reaching out your hands to touch a friend, pet a dog, or grab a fruit.

Mundane events and everyday moments are depicted with large abstracted planes of color and bold, layered marks that evoke the subjectivity of Yoo’s inner life. But oddly enough, these very personal moments have a truthfulness about them that resonates with others.

“The motivations of my works are from very personal stories, but they’re also from everyday life,” shared Yoo in an interview with Juxtapoz. “I’ve met lots of people who have told me personal stories based on their own interpretations of the works, so I think people must be reminiscing about their own personal experiences when they see my work in their homes.”

According to Yoo, being able to express those experiences as paintings and sharing them with other people has been exciting and she’s grateful for it. “I hope those who view my works can also find happiness in their lives when thinking about these moments with their families, friends, or sometimes strangers,” she notes.

It is through these relatable snapshots that a connection is made, and intimacy is being translated to visual experience. “The paintings draw connections between my own personal experiences and those of others,” relays Yoo. “By highlighting and amplifying these moments, my work responds to the otherwise overlooked and underappreciated aspects of daily life. While deeply personal, these works also hint at the ways art can address shared feelings and experiences, whether grandiose or mundane.”

Born in Germany, raised in South Korea, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2015, Yoo admits that painting has been a huge passion throughout her life. “Living in the United States with a Korean cultural background inspires me more because of the differences between them,” she notes.

Scroll down to see some of her recent work.

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The Striking Portrait Art of Wangari Mathenge https://mytrendtales.com/the-striking-portrait-art-of-wangari-mathenge/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:20:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7628 Wangari Mathenge’s paintings explore her cultural upbringing, introducing elements from both African society and the Diaspora. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1973, she spent her time as a child between London and Kenya, before moving to the US when she was an adult. Currently based in Chicago, Illinois, Wangari is a graduate of Howard University […]

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Wangari Mathenge’s paintings explore her cultural upbringing, introducing elements from both African society and the Diaspora. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1973, she spent her time as a child between London and Kenya, before moving to the US when she was an adult. Currently based in Chicago, Illinois, Wangari is a graduate of Howard University and Georgetown University Law Center and is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting and Drawing at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

But her introduction to art was much earlier, as a young child. “I started making art as a child,” she shared in an interview with Issue Magazine. “I was probably first introduced to it in kindergarten. My first recollection comprises plasticine, paper collage, watercolor and the varied possibilities of Lego blocks.”

These days, the majority of her work is based around people—portrait painting, that is. Often depicting people with whom she has significant relationships, Mathenge’s paintings are realized through structured compositions emboldened with gestural strokes and mark making.

According to Mathenge, through her work, she hopes to demystify what it means to be a Kenyan woman. “I was always intrigued by the fact that there was so much ignorance in the West as to the totality of conditions in Kenya,” she admits.

“Questions regarding the building structures, the cities, transportation systems all stumped me because these are things that I took for granted—that the West was aware that nations in Africa were organized and developing.”

Her portrait art is, at times, a reminder of what it looks like in these liminal spaces (between Africa and the diaspora), other times simply a glimpse back into the past, into other spaces as a way of recalling and recording. Scroll down to see some recent works by her.

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The Uncomplete Portraits of Lucy Pass https://mytrendtales.com/the-uncomplete-portraits-of-lucy-pass/ Mon, 16 Mar 2020 11:34:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=6129 UK-based artist Lucy Pass describes herself as a “kind of anti-portrait maker,” which she sort of is. Her work often features vanishing or obscured fragments of faces, sometimes just an eye, nose or mouth, unpicking the idea of portraiture. Sometimes these fragments hang alone in an empty space, sometimes they are anchored with gestural marks, […]

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UK-based artist Lucy Pass describes herself as a “kind of anti-portrait maker,” which she sort of is. Her work often features vanishing or obscured fragments of faces, sometimes just an eye, nose or mouth, unpicking the idea of portraiture. Sometimes these fragments hang alone in an empty space, sometimes they are anchored with gestural marks, blocks of color or bold outlines.
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This last few weeks has had a massive impact on my mental health, just like so many others out there – How are you doing? I wasn't holding out much hope, but like that awful exam you know you flunked, I still held on to a frayed end. I stayed up to watch the awful results roll in. And at the same time, countless kind souls on social media offered support to strangers through DMs or suggesting numbers to call if anyone was really struggling. That both warmed and shattered my heart all in one go. So many will find it incredibly difficult to get through today. If that's you, please, please reach out. If you think you see someone in a bad place, even if you have only the tiniest inkling they might not be doing great, please reach out to them. I'm taking a break from social media and the news and my phone… as much as I can. My brain is full and it needs to rest. Just for a bit. And as I start making a little bit of space in there, I'm going to start thinking about what I can do to help make the changes that I so wanted to see within our government. Elections can be a great start, but they're not the only way to make change. A friend told me last night to remember that anger is an energy which used correctly can produce masterpieces. He's right. We need to work really fucking hard to put all the energy of everything we're feeling right now into good things. Really good things. If you're feeling as angry and frustrated and frightened as I am about all this, please use that energy to do all you can to counteract this absolute shit show. If you need to, take a break first. Don't wear yourself down further. Rest. Heal. And when you're strong again, give it your absolute fucking everything. Give like your life depends on it and don't expect anything in return – that's how we got into this mess. Give your time, give your money, give your energy, give your voice, give your ears, give your love, give whatever you bloody well can. Nobody else will do it for you. It's going to be okay. I love you. See you later alligators. x Samaritans Call: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org SHOUT Text: 85258 #itsgoingtobeokay #hope #change #fightforyourfuture #mentalhealthsupport

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The focus is still on the subject but the power is in the parts we cannot see. The viewer is therefore invited to fill in the blanks. “I try not to impose a clear cut narrative on the viewer,” she explains on her website. “My aim is to illicit an emotional response without dictating to the viewer what they should or shouldn’t be feeling.”

Her unfinished portraits are drawn or painted, relying on found photos of strangers, with particular focus on ambiguous or, at a glance, neutral expressions. “The unknown subject and therefore his or her unknown emotions have become an important aspect in my work,” she notes, “where I, in turn, find myself instinctively attempting to read the individual – something which gradually becomes apparent in my treatment of the work.”

The finished-yet-unfinished products are perceived differently, depending on the individual viewer, and what one person perceives can be in complete contradiction to the next. Sometimes these reactions can be clearly explained by the individual and other times it is something visceral that can’t quite be placed. “The piece is then no longer about the face looking back at us, but about the feelings that it stirs and what that means about us,” she reflects.

Follow her thought-provoking work via Instagram.

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Today's the day! Yes that's right, everyone, it's Black Friday!!!! Joy of joys!!! Are you excited? … NOPE, ME NEITHER! My little 'NOPE' eye roll sketches first made an appearance this time last year as part of an anti Black Friday Instagram giveaway where you, my lovely followers, joined me in a mass eye rolling session with specific focus on the farce that is Black Friday. Our eyes are still rolling hard! These amusing little sketches proved so popular that I've carried on drawing them over the last year for your enjoyment and my online shop is currently fit to bursting with the little buggers! There's no giveaway this year, but I am offering a whopping 0% off everything in my shop today! Huzzah! Now, if you are using Black Friday deals to replace your senile old laptop or your bone-shaking washer, you bloody well go for it, my friend! I wholeheartedly congratulate you on the exceptional timing of the death of your household appliances! BUT please, please, please make absolutely sure that you are actually getting a good deal (surely after the year we've had, we all know a shit deal when we see one, right? Right?!) And after you've got yourself that cracking deal and you are dining on your delicious smugness, why not use the money saved to buy an original piece of art (from me or any one of the vast numbers of incredible artists and creatives living and working in this daft little country) while simultaneously blowing a raspberry at capitalism! What could possibly be more fun than that? Have a great Friday, chaps. I love you. #blackfriday2019 #boycottblackfriday #eyeroll #antiblackfriday #buyart #ownart #ukartist #artistsoninstagram #art #originalart #supportthearts #blackfriday

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British Artist “Doodles” Impressive Portraits of Anonymous Humans https://mytrendtales.com/british-artist-doodles-impressive-portraits-of-anonymous-humans/ Sun, 06 Oct 2019 10:35:58 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5675 British artist Adam Riches has an unusual technique of drawing portraits. Instead of taking a meticulous and planned approach like many artists, Riches doodles. Most of Riches’ portraits are based on intuition and they are spontaneous. He starts scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil and then works his way from there. This […]

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British artist Adam Riches has an unusual technique of drawing portraits. Instead of taking a meticulous and planned approach like many artists, Riches doodles.
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Ballpoint pen on paper #ballpointpen #red #ink #drawing

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Most of Riches’ portraits are based on intuition and they are spontaneous. He starts scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil and then works his way from there. This results in impressive artwork that recently became quite popular among art collectors and enabled this talented artist to turn his passion for drawing into a career.

“I was always interested in drawing as a child and drawing from my imagination… I feel lucky to take something I did when I was younger and develop that into a career,” – Riches told BBC in a recent interview.

While Riches’ mostly does portraits of anonymous humans from his imagination, he sometimes also “doodles” portraits of famous celebrities like Amy Winehouse or Bruce Lee.

Check out some of his works below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2E0lEcATBP/
View this post on Instagram

Ballpoint pen drawing #pen #drawing #ballpointpen

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qvb5XgeiI/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0WWpnKgoKd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B16g2XHARh2/

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Gabriella Sanchez’s Art is a Colorful Mishmash https://mytrendtales.com/gabriella-sanchezs-art-is-a-colorful-mishmash/ Tue, 17 Sep 2019 10:32:23 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5605 Gabriella Sanchez’s paintings are an exploration of color, shapes, and symbolism. A colorful mishmash of portraits, typography, and iconography, her art is meant to be both striking and thought-provoking. “In my artwork, I balance the visual pleasure and the conceptual weight,” said the Mexican-American artist in an interview with Inteligencia. “Before, I found I was making […]

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Gabriella Sanchez’s paintings are an exploration of color, shapes, and symbolism. A colorful mishmash of portraits, typography, and iconography, her art is meant to be both striking and thought-provoking. “In my artwork, I balance the visual pleasure and the conceptual weight,” said the Mexican-American artist in an interview with Inteligencia.

“Before, I found I was making work that I felt wasn’t for my community; it wasn’t for my family to enjoy, it was talking to the community that I wasn’t a part of,” she went on to explain. And that can be really alienating. As a whole, the art world is very alienating to specific groups of people: people of color and people who, maybe, don’t have certain levels of education. So, I like that the layered meaning [in my art] is for people who are from my own community who aren’t necessarily the art world community.”

Drawing for her mixed background, Sanchez finds a way to balance between the form and message she wishes to convey. “I always enjoyed doing paintings, but for whatever reason I wanted to do something that was totally new and at an experimental level,” she said. “I slowly realized that I could still do something that was experimental in painting through the messaging and through the way that I paint.”

Look closer. Can you decipher the message?

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🌱

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🤫🤫🤫 getting ready for June.

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These Deconstructed Portraits are Inspired by People Living in Digital Worlds https://mytrendtales.com/these-deconstructed-portraits-are-inspired-by-people-living-in-digital-worlds/ Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:28:22 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5554 The works of Argentinian painter Juan Manuel Sanabria present an intriguing mix of tradition and modern times. While he uses the traditional painting techniques, the themes within his artwork are quite new. Sanabria paints unusual portraits that are deconstructed in a way that resemble a mosaic. According to the artist, the distortion of portraits represents […]

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The works of Argentinian painter Juan Manuel Sanabria present an intriguing mix of tradition and modern times. While he uses the traditional painting techniques, the themes within his artwork are quite new.

Sanabria paints unusual portraits that are deconstructed in a way that resemble a mosaic. According to the artist, the distortion of portraits represents the life of people in this new digital world and the distraction they are exposed to.

“Everything has changed in this digital new world, every thought, every problem we have today is thrown into social networks as nothing, as if we were supposed to live online” – Sanabria says. Check out some of his works below.

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Kip Omolade Creates Hyperrealistic Portraits and Chrome Face Masks https://mytrendtales.com/kip-omolade-creates-hyperrealistic-portraits-and-chrome-face-masks/ Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:48:30 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5419 Kip Omolade, a Brooklyn-based artist, started his career as a graffiti artist while doing an internship at Marvel Comics and at The Center for African Art. His chrome masks and hyperrealistic portraits are contrasted against vibrant backgrounds and they explore the things that make us human. “In my paintings, I previously presented each mask as […]

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Kip Omolade, a Brooklyn-based artist, started his career as a graffiti artist while doing an internship at Marvel Comics and at The Center for African Art. His chrome masks and hyperrealistic portraits are contrasted against vibrant backgrounds and they explore the things that make us human.

“In my paintings, I previously presented each mask as a singular portrait,” Omolade told This is Colossal. “In my current work, the faces are now interacting with each other. They are arranged together on large canvases measuring 13-15 feet long. The masks have become mythological characters having conversations about humanity. I see them as deities pondering age old questions about birth, life, death, identity and love.”

For the first time, he has included his children in his work. He says that their portraits represent the ability of life to survive despite all the hardships that are thrown at it. He portrays his boys with their eyes closet, innocent to the world that surrounds them.

Omolade’s art will be exhibited in a pop-up show in NYC on September 9, if you’d like to see it in person.

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Works in progress. Chrome stage. 9-19-19

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Oj2ygnmIy/

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ersion="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> portraits Archives - MyTrendTales MyTrendTales Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:59:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 Indian Artist Draws Portraits of People He Encounters in His Everyday Life https://mytrendtales.com/indian-artist-draws-portraits-of-people-he-encounters-in-his-everyday-life/ Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:20:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=8707 Indian artist Akash Selvarasu is showing everyone that only a small, kind gesture is enough to bring smiles to people’s faces and make their day better.  Selvarasu is a talented artist who draws portraits of people he encounters in everyday life. This can be a random person on a train, a waiter, or just someone […]

The post Indian Artist Draws Portraits of People He Encounters in His Everyday Life appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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Indian artist Akash Selvarasu is showing everyone that only a small, kind gesture is enough to bring smiles to people’s faces and make their day better.

 Selvarasu is a talented artist who draws portraits of people he encounters in everyday life. This can be a random person on a train, a waiter, or just someone who happens to be sitting in a bar. But there is a catch; these people don’t know they are subjects of his artworks.

He observes them while they do their regular activities and captures their appearances with an impressive amount of detail using just pen and paper. After Selvarasu finishes his piece, he walks up to the person and gives them the portrait as a gift.

Selvarasu captures the reactions of strangers on camera and later shares them on his social media. It is heartwarming and captivating content, considering that everyone responds with a genuine surprise followed by a big smile on their face. There is no doubt that Selvarasu just made their day and gave them a memory they will cherish for a long time.

To see more videos of Selvarasu bringing smiles to people’s faces, continue scrolling.

The post Indian Artist Draws Portraits of People He Encounters in His Everyday Life appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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Robin F. Williams’ Portraits Are Truly in Your Face https://mytrendtales.com/robin-f-williams-portraits-are-truly-in-your-face/ Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:22:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7856 Hate it or love it, it’s hard to stay indifferent to Robin F. Williams’ paintings. Often alluding simultaneously to art history and pop culture, her portraits tend to feature striking women that command your attention. “The paintings are extravagantly in-your-face regarding execution, style, image, and social thrust,” remarked New York Times, chief art-critic Roberta Smith, […]

The post Robin F. Williams’ Portraits Are Truly in Your Face appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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Hate it or love it, it’s hard to stay indifferent to Robin F. Williams’ paintings. Often alluding simultaneously to art history and pop culture, her portraits tend to feature striking women that command your attention.

“The paintings are extravagantly in-your-face regarding execution, style, image, and social thrust,” remarked New York Times, chief art-critic Roberta Smith, when describing Williams’ work. “They take aim at the impossible idealizations of women in both art and advertising, depicting mostly nude and aloof androgynous supermodels, and the occasional feline, with a new kind of cool yet visceral bravura.”

Born in 1984 in Columbus, Oahio and now based in Brooklyn, New York, Williams holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Since graduating, she has attracted attention across the country, exhibiting both in solo and group exhibitions at PPOW in New York and Various Small Fires in Los Angeles.

Forever pushing the boundaries when it comes to her techniques, her work is cutting edge both in terms of style and execution. “I start with techniques I already have some mastery with, and then they evolve as I try to push them further,” she shared in an interview with Juxtapoz.

“My more recent mixed-media approach generates lots of interesting puzzles,” she admits. “To combine elements successfully, I need a plan. If I am staining raw canvas with acrylic, that has to happen first, then I have to draw my figures, then airbrush, then oil… every edge has to be mapped out in advance.”

According to Williams, this keeps her very engaged with the painting as every stage of the plan has high-stakes moments built-in. But even more than her unique style, it’s her portraits’ faces and expressions that make for a truly striking effect. “I am interested in micro-expressions and how we read each other’s cues,” says Williams.

“There seems to be a lot of illiteracy around body language and not enough acknowledgment that non-verbal cues can be, and sometimes have to be, very complicated. There is often a level of emotional intelligence that is needed to read these cues, and women are bathed in this knowledge.”

Scroll down to see some of her work and follow her on social media for more.

The post Robin F. Williams’ Portraits Are Truly in Your Face appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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Understanding Intimacy Through Art: Hiejin Yoo’s Paintings https://mytrendtales.com/understanding-intimacy-through-art-hiejin-yoos-paintings/ Mon, 12 Apr 2021 06:48:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7857 Describing intimacy to an outsider visiting Earth is as hard as describing color to a blind person. True intimacy is understood through experience, and negotiating feelings through words oftentimes dwindles a complex experience into syllables. And yet, through visual art, such feelings might be better understood. Take for instance Hiejin Yoo’s paintings. Based on daily […]

The post Understanding Intimacy Through Art: Hiejin Yoo’s Paintings appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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Describing intimacy to an outsider visiting Earth is as hard as describing color to a blind person. True intimacy is understood through experience, and negotiating feelings through words oftentimes dwindles a complex experience into syllables. And yet, through visual art, such feelings might be better understood.

Take for instance Hiejin Yoo’s paintings. Based on daily observations, they capture mundane moments—snapshots in time—that make the tapestry of memory and feelings. Moments like reaching out your hands to touch a friend, pet a dog, or grab a fruit.

Mundane events and everyday moments are depicted with large abstracted planes of color and bold, layered marks that evoke the subjectivity of Yoo’s inner life. But oddly enough, these very personal moments have a truthfulness about them that resonates with others.

“The motivations of my works are from very personal stories, but they’re also from everyday life,” shared Yoo in an interview with Juxtapoz. “I’ve met lots of people who have told me personal stories based on their own interpretations of the works, so I think people must be reminiscing about their own personal experiences when they see my work in their homes.”

According to Yoo, being able to express those experiences as paintings and sharing them with other people has been exciting and she’s grateful for it. “I hope those who view my works can also find happiness in their lives when thinking about these moments with their families, friends, or sometimes strangers,” she notes.

It is through these relatable snapshots that a connection is made, and intimacy is being translated to visual experience. “The paintings draw connections between my own personal experiences and those of others,” relays Yoo. “By highlighting and amplifying these moments, my work responds to the otherwise overlooked and underappreciated aspects of daily life. While deeply personal, these works also hint at the ways art can address shared feelings and experiences, whether grandiose or mundane.”

Born in Germany, raised in South Korea, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2015, Yoo admits that painting has been a huge passion throughout her life. “Living in the United States with a Korean cultural background inspires me more because of the differences between them,” she notes.

Scroll down to see some of her recent work.

The post Understanding Intimacy Through Art: Hiejin Yoo’s Paintings appeared first on MyTrendTales.

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The Striking Portrait Art of Wangari Mathenge https://mytrendtales.com/the-striking-portrait-art-of-wangari-mathenge/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:20:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=7628 Wangari Mathenge’s paintings explore her cultural upbringing, introducing elements from both African society and the Diaspora. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1973, she spent her time as a child between London and Kenya, before moving to the US when she was an adult. Currently based in Chicago, Illinois, Wangari is a graduate of Howard University […]

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Wangari Mathenge’s paintings explore her cultural upbringing, introducing elements from both African society and the Diaspora. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1973, she spent her time as a child between London and Kenya, before moving to the US when she was an adult. Currently based in Chicago, Illinois, Wangari is a graduate of Howard University and Georgetown University Law Center and is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting and Drawing at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

But her introduction to art was much earlier, as a young child. “I started making art as a child,” she shared in an interview with Issue Magazine. “I was probably first introduced to it in kindergarten. My first recollection comprises plasticine, paper collage, watercolor and the varied possibilities of Lego blocks.”

These days, the majority of her work is based around people—portrait painting, that is. Often depicting people with whom she has significant relationships, Mathenge’s paintings are realized through structured compositions emboldened with gestural strokes and mark making.

According to Mathenge, through her work, she hopes to demystify what it means to be a Kenyan woman. “I was always intrigued by the fact that there was so much ignorance in the West as to the totality of conditions in Kenya,” she admits.

“Questions regarding the building structures, the cities, transportation systems all stumped me because these are things that I took for granted—that the West was aware that nations in Africa were organized and developing.”

Her portrait art is, at times, a reminder of what it looks like in these liminal spaces (between Africa and the diaspora), other times simply a glimpse back into the past, into other spaces as a way of recalling and recording. Scroll down to see some recent works by her.

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The Uncomplete Portraits of Lucy Pass https://mytrendtales.com/the-uncomplete-portraits-of-lucy-pass/ Mon, 16 Mar 2020 11:34:00 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=6129 UK-based artist Lucy Pass describes herself as a “kind of anti-portrait maker,” which she sort of is. Her work often features vanishing or obscured fragments of faces, sometimes just an eye, nose or mouth, unpicking the idea of portraiture. Sometimes these fragments hang alone in an empty space, sometimes they are anchored with gestural marks, […]

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UK-based artist Lucy Pass describes herself as a “kind of anti-portrait maker,” which she sort of is. Her work often features vanishing or obscured fragments of faces, sometimes just an eye, nose or mouth, unpicking the idea of portraiture. Sometimes these fragments hang alone in an empty space, sometimes they are anchored with gestural marks, blocks of color or bold outlines.
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This last few weeks has had a massive impact on my mental health, just like so many others out there – How are you doing? I wasn't holding out much hope, but like that awful exam you know you flunked, I still held on to a frayed end. I stayed up to watch the awful results roll in. And at the same time, countless kind souls on social media offered support to strangers through DMs or suggesting numbers to call if anyone was really struggling. That both warmed and shattered my heart all in one go. So many will find it incredibly difficult to get through today. If that's you, please, please reach out. If you think you see someone in a bad place, even if you have only the tiniest inkling they might not be doing great, please reach out to them. I'm taking a break from social media and the news and my phone… as much as I can. My brain is full and it needs to rest. Just for a bit. And as I start making a little bit of space in there, I'm going to start thinking about what I can do to help make the changes that I so wanted to see within our government. Elections can be a great start, but they're not the only way to make change. A friend told me last night to remember that anger is an energy which used correctly can produce masterpieces. He's right. We need to work really fucking hard to put all the energy of everything we're feeling right now into good things. Really good things. If you're feeling as angry and frustrated and frightened as I am about all this, please use that energy to do all you can to counteract this absolute shit show. If you need to, take a break first. Don't wear yourself down further. Rest. Heal. And when you're strong again, give it your absolute fucking everything. Give like your life depends on it and don't expect anything in return – that's how we got into this mess. Give your time, give your money, give your energy, give your voice, give your ears, give your love, give whatever you bloody well can. Nobody else will do it for you. It's going to be okay. I love you. See you later alligators. x Samaritans Call: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org SHOUT Text: 85258 #itsgoingtobeokay #hope #change #fightforyourfuture #mentalhealthsupport

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The focus is still on the subject but the power is in the parts we cannot see. The viewer is therefore invited to fill in the blanks. “I try not to impose a clear cut narrative on the viewer,” she explains on her website. “My aim is to illicit an emotional response without dictating to the viewer what they should or shouldn’t be feeling.”

Her unfinished portraits are drawn or painted, relying on found photos of strangers, with particular focus on ambiguous or, at a glance, neutral expressions. “The unknown subject and therefore his or her unknown emotions have become an important aspect in my work,” she notes, “where I, in turn, find myself instinctively attempting to read the individual – something which gradually becomes apparent in my treatment of the work.”

The finished-yet-unfinished products are perceived differently, depending on the individual viewer, and what one person perceives can be in complete contradiction to the next. Sometimes these reactions can be clearly explained by the individual and other times it is something visceral that can’t quite be placed. “The piece is then no longer about the face looking back at us, but about the feelings that it stirs and what that means about us,” she reflects.

Follow her thought-provoking work via Instagram.

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Today's the day! Yes that's right, everyone, it's Black Friday!!!! Joy of joys!!! Are you excited? … NOPE, ME NEITHER! My little 'NOPE' eye roll sketches first made an appearance this time last year as part of an anti Black Friday Instagram giveaway where you, my lovely followers, joined me in a mass eye rolling session with specific focus on the farce that is Black Friday. Our eyes are still rolling hard! These amusing little sketches proved so popular that I've carried on drawing them over the last year for your enjoyment and my online shop is currently fit to bursting with the little buggers! There's no giveaway this year, but I am offering a whopping 0% off everything in my shop today! Huzzah! Now, if you are using Black Friday deals to replace your senile old laptop or your bone-shaking washer, you bloody well go for it, my friend! I wholeheartedly congratulate you on the exceptional timing of the death of your household appliances! BUT please, please, please make absolutely sure that you are actually getting a good deal (surely after the year we've had, we all know a shit deal when we see one, right? Right?!) And after you've got yourself that cracking deal and you are dining on your delicious smugness, why not use the money saved to buy an original piece of art (from me or any one of the vast numbers of incredible artists and creatives living and working in this daft little country) while simultaneously blowing a raspberry at capitalism! What could possibly be more fun than that? Have a great Friday, chaps. I love you. #blackfriday2019 #boycottblackfriday #eyeroll #antiblackfriday #buyart #ownart #ukartist #artistsoninstagram #art #originalart #supportthearts #blackfriday

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British Artist “Doodles” Impressive Portraits of Anonymous Humans https://mytrendtales.com/british-artist-doodles-impressive-portraits-of-anonymous-humans/ Sun, 06 Oct 2019 10:35:58 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5675 British artist Adam Riches has an unusual technique of drawing portraits. Instead of taking a meticulous and planned approach like many artists, Riches doodles. Most of Riches’ portraits are based on intuition and they are spontaneous. He starts scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil and then works his way from there. This […]

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British artist Adam Riches has an unusual technique of drawing portraits. Instead of taking a meticulous and planned approach like many artists, Riches doodles.
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Ballpoint pen on paper #ballpointpen #red #ink #drawing

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Most of Riches’ portraits are based on intuition and they are spontaneous. He starts scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil and then works his way from there. This results in impressive artwork that recently became quite popular among art collectors and enabled this talented artist to turn his passion for drawing into a career.

“I was always interested in drawing as a child and drawing from my imagination… I feel lucky to take something I did when I was younger and develop that into a career,” – Riches told BBC in a recent interview.

While Riches’ mostly does portraits of anonymous humans from his imagination, he sometimes also “doodles” portraits of famous celebrities like Amy Winehouse or Bruce Lee.

Check out some of his works below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2E0lEcATBP/
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Ballpoint pen drawing #pen #drawing #ballpointpen

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qvb5XgeiI/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0WWpnKgoKd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B16g2XHARh2/

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Gabriella Sanchez’s Art is a Colorful Mishmash https://mytrendtales.com/gabriella-sanchezs-art-is-a-colorful-mishmash/ Tue, 17 Sep 2019 10:32:23 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5605 Gabriella Sanchez’s paintings are an exploration of color, shapes, and symbolism. A colorful mishmash of portraits, typography, and iconography, her art is meant to be both striking and thought-provoking. “In my artwork, I balance the visual pleasure and the conceptual weight,” said the Mexican-American artist in an interview with Inteligencia. “Before, I found I was making […]

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Gabriella Sanchez’s paintings are an exploration of color, shapes, and symbolism. A colorful mishmash of portraits, typography, and iconography, her art is meant to be both striking and thought-provoking. “In my artwork, I balance the visual pleasure and the conceptual weight,” said the Mexican-American artist in an interview with Inteligencia.

“Before, I found I was making work that I felt wasn’t for my community; it wasn’t for my family to enjoy, it was talking to the community that I wasn’t a part of,” she went on to explain. And that can be really alienating. As a whole, the art world is very alienating to specific groups of people: people of color and people who, maybe, don’t have certain levels of education. So, I like that the layered meaning [in my art] is for people who are from my own community who aren’t necessarily the art world community.”

Drawing for her mixed background, Sanchez finds a way to balance between the form and message she wishes to convey. “I always enjoyed doing paintings, but for whatever reason I wanted to do something that was totally new and at an experimental level,” she said. “I slowly realized that I could still do something that was experimental in painting through the messaging and through the way that I paint.”

Look closer. Can you decipher the message?

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🌱

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🤫🤫🤫 getting ready for June.

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These Deconstructed Portraits are Inspired by People Living in Digital Worlds https://mytrendtales.com/these-deconstructed-portraits-are-inspired-by-people-living-in-digital-worlds/ Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:28:22 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5554 The works of Argentinian painter Juan Manuel Sanabria present an intriguing mix of tradition and modern times. While he uses the traditional painting techniques, the themes within his artwork are quite new. Sanabria paints unusual portraits that are deconstructed in a way that resemble a mosaic. According to the artist, the distortion of portraits represents […]

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The works of Argentinian painter Juan Manuel Sanabria present an intriguing mix of tradition and modern times. While he uses the traditional painting techniques, the themes within his artwork are quite new.

Sanabria paints unusual portraits that are deconstructed in a way that resemble a mosaic. According to the artist, the distortion of portraits represents the life of people in this new digital world and the distraction they are exposed to.

“Everything has changed in this digital new world, every thought, every problem we have today is thrown into social networks as nothing, as if we were supposed to live online” – Sanabria says. Check out some of his works below.

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Kip Omolade Creates Hyperrealistic Portraits and Chrome Face Masks https://mytrendtales.com/kip-omolade-creates-hyperrealistic-portraits-and-chrome-face-masks/ Tue, 27 Aug 2019 07:48:30 +0000 https://mytrendtales.com/?p=5419 Kip Omolade, a Brooklyn-based artist, started his career as a graffiti artist while doing an internship at Marvel Comics and at The Center for African Art. His chrome masks and hyperrealistic portraits are contrasted against vibrant backgrounds and they explore the things that make us human. “In my paintings, I previously presented each mask as […]

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Kip Omolade, a Brooklyn-based artist, started his career as a graffiti artist while doing an internship at Marvel Comics and at The Center for African Art. His chrome masks and hyperrealistic portraits are contrasted against vibrant backgrounds and they explore the things that make us human.

“In my paintings, I previously presented each mask as a singular portrait,” Omolade told This is Colossal. “In my current work, the faces are now interacting with each other. They are arranged together on large canvases measuring 13-15 feet long. The masks have become mythological characters having conversations about humanity. I see them as deities pondering age old questions about birth, life, death, identity and love.”

For the first time, he has included his children in his work. He says that their portraits represent the ability of life to survive despite all the hardships that are thrown at it. He portrays his boys with their eyes closet, innocent to the world that surrounds them.

Omolade’s art will be exhibited in a pop-up show in NYC on September 9, if you’d like to see it in person.

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Works in progress. Chrome stage. 9-19-19

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