Hester Scheurwater
Mixed media
30 x 21 cm

Hester Scheurwater is a renowned feminist multidisciplinary artist. Her oeuvre spans from performance art to visual art. This painting is a stark example of the artist’s exploration of a new artistic approach. Despite the ever-changing medium, Scheurwater’s focus remains consistent. In this painting, under the guise of a self-portrait, she investigates and critiques the role of woman as a sexualized object. Here, the artist depicts herself outside the commonly used romanticised prism: the thick, uneven brushstrokes emphasise the skin tone imperfections, the dark eye circles. The pose of the artist is reminiscent of one’s look in the mirror with the inspecting, reflecting gaze towards herself. Such a modern approach is a defiance to the media-endorsed image of women as an object of sensuality, seduction, and temptation.