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Alice Wellinger Tells Her Story in Ironic Illustrations

Austrian illustrator Alice Wellinger paints ironic and surreal images inspired by her childhood and everyday life experiences as a woman. Wellinger's paintings are a like patchwork of womanhood, often weaving female bodies with florals and other abstract, organic shapes. Her editorial illustration employs elements of cool surrealism with unapologetic messaging; from a fragile, porcelain-like vagina to more whimsical, like her pregnant Superwoman on a mission. Her imagination runs wild in her personal work. Wellinger’s artist statement on her website is simple: “I always try to tell a little story in my pictures - I like when people have something to think about." See more after the jump!

Austrian illustrator Alice Wellinger paints ironic and surreal images inspired by her childhood and everyday life experiences as a woman. Wellinger’s paintings are a like patchwork of womanhood, often weaving female bodies with florals and other abstract, organic shapes. Her editorial illustration employs elements of cool surrealism with unapologetic messaging; from a fragile, porcelain-like vagina to more whimsical, like her pregnant Superwoman on a mission. Her imagination runs wild in her personal work. Wellinger’s artist statement on her website is simple: “I always try to tell a little story in my pictures – I like when people have something to think about.”

One might compare her to surrealists like Salvador Dali, 1930s figurative artists and modern illustrators like Mary GrandPré, but the truth is, Wellinger’s influence is eclectic. The root of language, elegant grace of a greyhound’s body, to contemporary found object art are just a few specific examples. Throughout her career, Wellinger has undergone many artistic changes in her expressive visual form. Her concerns for light, color, drawing, and design come together in evocative paintings that continue to evolve. Take a look at some of Wellinger’s recent work below.

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