After the loss of her parents, the Belgian artist Martine Johanna channeled all the pain into something magical: her paintings. Women are the undisputed protagonists of her tables and often resemble their creator. Every nuance, brushstroke, and shadow represents a state of mind, an emotion, which for Martine would not be possible to express except with the visual arts.

“After the loss of my mother, I started questioning my motivation. Never before have I realised, that all my life as a ‘difficult child’, I have been searching for my parents’ recognition. Who do you become when the people that you seek validation from, suddenly disappear? I had to find the right motivation within myself, deliver my own affirmation. I had to leave regret and sorrow behind me.”

Female characters investigate the role of women within a patriarchal culture and often represent beauty and adolescence. Her style oscillates between hyper-realistic and abstract, emphasizing the personality of every woman through the joyful use of colors for a pop-art effect.

The rest of Martine’s work can be found on her website that you find here.