Portugal-based artist Cristina Troufa’s collection of paintings are filled with the expressive emotions of women exploring themes of identity and self. She utilizes negative space on textured canvas to develop her figures, and her use of simple lines and soft color palettes are so perfectly fragmented that viewers will find themselves automatically filling in the gaps and piecing the composition together.
Troufa says, “The theme of my work is about my life, about myself and my beliefs. I explore in my work the self-representation in the looking for my inner self, my self-portrait.” Rarely does the subject gaze out from the canvas. Rather, viewers are invited to peer upon the subjects as if catching a glimpse of something they aren’t supposed to see. In the intimate moments, we watch as young girls investigate who they are both as individuals and within a larger group.
