In the recent, enormous portraits painted by Mike Dargas, the artist pays homage to major figures in art history and tucks surprises into their contours. With “The Unbreakable,” which honors Frida Kahlo, the artist says she was “physically broken but her spirit was unbreakable and her powerful essence eternal.” See more of his recent portraits below.
“Inspired by Dali, Caravaggio and HR Giga, Dargas explores themes of reality and the surreal in his hyperrealistic oil paintings and charcoal drawings,” C24 Gallery says. “His quest for perfection results in works that read like photographs, snapshots of mental states. His subjects appear conflicted, lost in thought, or even sublimely calm. Dargas challenges both himself and the viewer to take a deeper look at the subject, in order to question human nature and emotional perception.”
Find Dargas on Instagram here.