Disguise by Gigi Malherbe

Size (cm): 31.5 x 37
Acrylic on fabric
This piece “Disguise” is part of an ongoing series of work I’ve been creating as a response to portraiture and visual impairment. The idea of the balaclava and concealed portraiture came to fruition through my inability in life drawing sessions to see the entirety of a person’s face due to a permanent, inherited eye condition. For a while I was drawing and making up what I saw but found that just capturing the nature of how I view people and identify them had so much more strength visually. The use of textiles mainly old upholstery samples I come across, create an almost camouflaged effect where the face disappears and emerges, an aesthetic approach to capturing an aspect of visual impairment.