mariya haponenko
toronto visual artist
body language of lips
My interest in exploring the
human anatomy and combining its realism
with abstract has recently evolved into a strong focus
on human expression, specifically through the lips. My current
work exposes various nuances of my own mouth to evoke a visceral
response to sexually suggestive and seductive expressions. My pieces
consist of one or two expressive lips dominating the entire canvas,
because I believe the mouth can project strong emotion without the
face intact. I work with juxtaposing expressions of sensuous
seductiveness and aggressive sexual allure. I try to create works
that the viewer can interpret as extremely suggestive
without being literal. I work in oil and put
great emphasis on detail to create
fullness and texture of the human flesh.
- mariya haponenko
