Lost in the Lines

The work depicts a stylised female figure who is almost entirely absorbed into a mesmerising pattern of black, white and terracotta lines. At the centre appears her dark silhouette, dressed in a graphically striped dress and wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat that completely conceals her eyes from view. Only the outline of her nose and lips breaks through the shadow, ensuring that the figure remains both powerfully present and anonymous at the same time.

The composition is underpinned by a fascinating interplay of lines. The lines wind their way through the picture like a labyrinth, making sharp turns and constantly changing direction. Around the woman, they follow her contours, as if the pattern were parting specifically for her. At the top, warm terracotta dominates, whilst the lower section shifts radically to black. The cream-coloured lines connect both worlds and create a striking optical movement.

A striking detail is the way in which the stripes on the hat are echoed in her clothing and then seem to flow on into the background. This blurs the boundary between the figure and her surroundings. On closer inspection, one also discovers small irregularities in the lines and paint texture, ensuring that the geometric pattern retains a distinctly handcrafted character.

The work combines figurative art, abstract art and graphic patterns to create a distinctly modern portrait with an almost retro, fashionable feel.