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The ‘Face Study’ series of 7 oil paintings came to life during 2011-2012, when I was able to approach the subject I’ve kept close to my heart for a while. For this series of portraiture images I selected 7 vulnerable characters that can be found in the margins of a society, and wouldn’t often be the subject of traditional portraiture. As a painter I have experienced a particular interest and sympathy for certain ‘out of the ordinary’ personalities, such as drunkards, the homeless, the vulnerable, ‘mad’ people and victims of abuse. I always wanted to paint them. I’m intrigued by the controversy in the nature of my characters.

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While most of them have had tough lives and disadvantaged upbringings, their faces preserved child-like curiosity directed to the world and express a kind of content. For me the people I portray are attractive because of the raw quality, lack of pretence and polish on their faces.

The portraits were painted from imagination. I usually ‘collect’ impressions of people in my memory, and sometimes sketch them before painting.I  would do a sketch to select a character from a number of memorable impressions, and then paint directly on canvas, without preliminary drawing.

See more portraits by Marina Jijina