La Cage 2013

Sandra Chevrier made this striking painting, La Cage, using watercolor and comic book collage to create a layered portrait. Imagine her, scissors in hand, carefully cutting out panels from comic books, each snippet carrying its own narrative baggage. She then delicately applies these fragments onto the paper, building a face, a mask, a story. The paint is fluid, almost tear-like, dripping down the page. Notice how the eyes are left bare, pools of vulnerability amidst the superhero action. You feel a sense of confinement, of being trapped behind the image of power and strength that the comics project. It’s like Chevrier is asking: what does it mean to be a woman, encased in these cultural expectations? It reminds me of other artists who play with identity and masking, like Cindy Sherman. Ultimately, it's a powerful statement on the tension between our inner selves and the roles we play.