Humans have long been fascinated by birds, and there is a wealth of complex meanings associated with them in different cultures. A number of pagan gods are linked with birds, and dynasties and empires have adopted powerful birds as their symbols. Birds feature in numerous creation myths, and represent the human soul in many religions. Despite this, however, there has until now been no proper study of the birds in art. There exist a rich and rewarding collection of beautifully reproduced paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, by such major artists as Audubon, Dalí, Dürer, Ernst, Freud, Goya, Klee, Stubbs or Turner. For the realization of this triptych, paintings by some of the aforementioned artists have served as inspiration. I wanted to capture my fascination for birds and the delicacy of the female body in the style of classical paintings.

Self-portrait project.