Artist Dain Yoon uses makeup and watercolors to bend our perceptions of what’s real and what’s just an illusion. The 22-year-old student paints on her hands, face, and neck to create visually mesmerizing—and at times confusing—artworks that fuse parts of herself with objects, landscapes, and her own body.
Many of Yoon’s optical illusions feature eyes and hair that are painted on the back of her hands. As she holds up her arm to her face, it’s hard to distinguish what is drawn on her fingers versus her real lips, nose, and eyes. Other works include Yoon’s face painted like a clouded sky and an ornate clock, creating a chameleon-like effect—part of her is completely cloaked in a texture or pattern while the rest is her ordinary self.
Yoon has only recently begun illusion painting. Over the past two months she’s posted several photos and videos of her beautifully confounding works that have since gained attention around the world. Follow her on Instagram to see more mind-bending paintings.
Dain Yoon: