La Cage; Briser Les Chaînes 2020

Sandra Chevrier made this arresting portrait, “La Cage; Briser Les Chaînes,” using watercolor and collage. It's a profile of a woman whose face is fragmented by comic book imagery. The effect is visually arresting. I imagine Chevrier layering these elements, piecing together the sleek washes of watercolor with the bright, graphic intensity of comic book panels. The woman’s gaze is intense, almost confrontational, as if challenging us to see beyond the surface. Those bold brushstrokes—notice the confident flicks of black in her hair—they’re not just descriptive; they’re expressive, conveying a sense of dynamic energy and a little bit of rebellion. I bet Chevrier was thinking about identity when she made this, the masks we wear, and how they might imprison or empower us. It reminds me of how David Salle used collage in painting, though Chevrier’s work feels more personal, more tied to the female experience. I feel like painting has a role in the construction of identity. It's an ongoing, collaborative process. Artists are constantly responding to one another, trying to push the conversation forward and break the chains of tradition.