Natasha Laksmana

An exploration of portraiture and feminism are brought together in my paintings, focusing on relatively unknown or non-generic women, whether hailing from fictional or non-fictional world in a framed setting. The locus of non-generic archetypes of female tropes, ones which differ from the mainstream and are underexplored, serves as a point of interest when encountering my work, hopefully capturing the viewer's interest in their identities. These paintings are open to interpretation, or if the viewer can adhere to or personally resonate with each character, if they are distinguishable or if they can connect with them.

Recently charmed by the subjectivity and over-sexualization of female characters in the video game setting, where the primary focus is catered towards male audiences/gaze, I chose my subjects based on the non-sexualized counterparts, sporting heavy armor and even utilizing intimidating, unwelcoming semblance towards the audience. The female characters of my portrait paintings are positioned within a masculine world but defy the stereotypes of what is understood as ‘attractive’ or ‘beautiful’ for the majority of the mainstream audiences. These concepts stem from observations that these females tend to be less frequently chosen (in a video game setting) as they are not as appealing as their other feminine counterparts.