Nude Art
The female nude is one of the most enduring and controversial subjects in Western art. It has been a symbol of beauty, sexuality, morality, and power, depending on the historical and cultural context. The Greeks celebrated the human body as a manifestation of divinity and excellence. In the Renaissance era, the female nude experienced a revival, becoming a vehicle for expressing humanist values. However, these works also reflected the patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes of their time, as they often objectified or idealized women according to male fantasies and standards. The female nude was seldom portrayed as an individual , but usually as a passive or submissive figure for the benefit of the male gaze.
The contemporary artist has a challenge in avoiding the objectification of women at a time when society is awash with such images, from porn to social media influencers presenting an idealised and sexualised image of the female form. At the same time some female artists use nudity to reclaim their bodies from a history of shame or stigma, and use nudity as a form of self-affirmation and empowerment.
The paintings below were painted between 2013 and 2023. The artist hired professional models to pose in his studio. He does not see much difference between these works and his portrait paintings. He considers them very much nude portraits.
