At first glance, this looks like a classic fashion portrait: a young woman with red hair and a big white hat, eyes closed in silence, lips stained red. But those who look longer see the thin red line across her throat - a subtle but inescapable sign of violence.
This work was created in response to the murder of Lisa, who was recently killed in the night on her way home. Her death reignited the conversation about femicide and violence against women in the Netherlands. With this portrait, I want to reflect on her and all women who have been victimised.
The work ties in with my Olafique collection: staged, cinematic portraits in which beauty and perfection are always crossed by a crack, a silence, a confrontational detail. In it, inspired by Erwin Olaf, I seek the tension between elegance and discomfort, between aesthetics and social charge.
It is my way of calling attention to femicide, of not looking away and of turning silence into image. The proceeds of this work will be donated to organisations fighting violence against women.
#Femicide #RightTodayNight #WeDemandTheNightOp
Created by Arjen Roos with support from AI.
My work exists at the intersection of modern Pop Art and Expressionism, with influences from Modernism. Contrast, whether in light, color, or subject, plays a central role in my art. The color red is often prominently featured.
Each piece I create tells a story. I produce..
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