Self-Portrait 

George Bouzianis created this stark self-portrait in monochrome using ink on paper. Notice the stark contrast and raw emotion conveyed through intense, rapidly applied lines, which create a face emerging from the void. The form is deconstructed through bold, expressive strokes. Bouzianis engages with the modernist exploration of the self, fragmenting the subject’s identity into abstract shapes. The eyes are heavily shadowed voids, suggesting introspection, while the lines around the mouth form a mask-like structure. We might read this self-portrait as an expression of existential angst, where identity is not fixed but fragmented, challenging traditional notions of portraiture. These formal choices destabilize the idea of a coherent self, reflecting post-structuralist ideas about the self as a fluid and constructed entity. The raw, almost violent application of ink serves as a powerful statement on the human condition.