Girl in the mirror II
| Edition | Original Art |
|---|---|
| Sujet | Portrait |
| Technique | Painting |
| Height | 100 cm |
| Width | 100 cm |
| Length/Depth | 4.5 cm |
'Girl in the Mirror II'
100x100cm
Oil on canvas
Building on works exploring interpersonal relationships, I developed a desire to turn my attention to the relationship with oneself. The series depicts this relationship through the encounter between a lifelike figure and her reflection, the ‘Girl in the Mirror’.
The reflection remains anonymous and appears almost like a mannequin. It serves as a projection surface. The real figure can be interpreted as a young woman, yet she does not represent a specific person or generation, but rather a universal idea.
In this particular work, I explore the discrepancy between how we treat ourselves and how we treat those close to us. It explores how much harsher we are on ourselves than we would be towards a friend. The work articulates the aim of treating oneself with the same understanding, care and love.
The interaction between the figure and her reflection deals less with outward appearance than with the relationship to one’s inner world. It describes a process of self-perception, confrontation and reconciliation on the path to self-love.
Shipping:
The artwork is shipped stretched on a stretcher frame – including a certificate of authenticity and the artist’s signature on the reverse.
Anna Lena Wirth
My aim has always been to portray people as individuals. For many years, I painted portraits, believing that people’s faces best reflect their identities. When, whilst studying art at the University of Wuppertal, I came into contact with dementia within my personal circle and attempted to depict the process of forgetting, I reached my limits. A person’s outward appearance could not reflect their inner processes. In search of a solution to my problem, I gradually moved away from depicting faces, until I eventually omitted them entirely. Since then, my works have played with the identities and realities of the people depicted. Through a blend of figurative, realistic and abstract elements, I allow the viewer to look behind the façade of faces, into the feelings and thoughts of the figures portrayed.
My in-depth exploration of this subject matter – including in my Bachelor’s thesis in painting – continues to shape my painting style to this day and inspires me to constantly reinterpret a wide variety of themes relating to the human condition. I prefer to work in series, in which I explore individual themes in depth and interpret them in various ways.
Exhibitions:
2022 – Screenshot, Wuppertal
; 2022 – CoroArt, Wuppertal
; 2023 – Screenshot, Wuppertal
; 2024 – Exhibition, Hamburg
; 2025 – ‘Hues of Healing’ exhibition, Abtsgmünd
Other artworks by the artist
