Palm Reflections by Bianca ter Riet

"Palm Reflections" captures the moment when summer, memory and identity merge into a single image. A close-up of a woman fills the canvas - her face partially obscured by large, shiny sunglasses. Palm trees reflect in the dark, pink-tinted glasses, distorted by light and heat, as if slowly dissolving into the surface.

The painting balances between abstraction and figuration. Broad, energetic strokes have been applied with the palette knife: pink, orange, white and blue flow into each other like flecks of light on an old film reel. The background exudes a summery retro feel - fragments of sky, a faint palm in the distance, and the suggestion of sunlight flooding the image.

The glasses are the central motif: a symbol of reflection, protection, and perception. Through the dark glasses, subtle pink lines trace down her cheeks, like traces of sunlight breaking through the glass. Her face remains mysterious - recognisable but not fully visible - a play between seeing and concealing.

The composition is reminiscent of a still from a forgotten tropical film: a pop art dream full of colour, rhythm and nostalgia. The pink and black colour contrast intensifies the intensity, while the white and blue areas bring breathing space. The whole is light but loaded with atmosphere - a twitch of memory, like a visual echo of a summer day you can almost feel.

"Palm Reflections" explores the idea of identity as a mirror image - how we see ourselves in light, shadow and memory. The palm trees in the glasses symbolise freedom, desire and the promise of faraway places, while the abstract paint texture recalls fleeting moments, captured as colour in motion. Bold Retro. Film. Bold Retro. Modern Abstract. Pop Art.