Canadian artist Alex Garant paints realistic portraits that capture her subjects in multiples. Using traditional portrait techniques, her oil paintings combine graphic design elements with abstraction in great detail. Looking at her work is like getting lost in an optical illusion, where colorful patterns are key to holding the composition together. Among her stylistic inspirations, she credits early ink printing, Pop surrealism, Baroque tapestries and themes found in retro kitsch. This is especially apparent in her use of image superposition, where her subject’s 70s-esque big lips and eyes are enhanced. It’s a signature detail that she’s come to describe as the “double eyes”. Symmetry and duplication are important tools which Garant uses to engage her viewer. They can add to the overall image effect, inducing a physical reaction that makes us look beyond their prettiness.
