'The Pretending' is an ongoing series in which I explore the complexities of identity and the pressure to conform to societal norms. Through hand-painted oil portraits of masked strangers, I examine how human identity is shaped by societal expectations and personal desires. Although these figures might seem real, they are entirely fabricated, based on AI-generated images of people who don’t exist. The masks serve thematically as one of many layers, while the traditional painting techniques further blur the boundaries between reality and artifice, challenging the notion of authenticity.
'The Pretending' is an ongoing series in which I explore the complexities of identity and the pressure to conform to societal norms. Through hand-painted oil portraits of masked strangers, I examine how human identity is shaped by societal expectations and personal desires. Although these figures might seem real, they are entirely fabricated, based on AI-generated images of people who don’t exist. The masks serve thematically as one of many layers, while the traditional painting techniques further blur the boundaries between reality and artifice, challenging the notion of authenticity.
