From my series of portraits, this painting represents a man, seated on an armchair, in an interior as colorful as the exterior space to which it opens.
The bandage around the model's head and the skin tones suggest a portrait of former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, now deceased, and scarred for life by injuries from a serious accident that will have seen his car catch fire.
His posture seems to indicate a certain calm or the desire to straighten up quickly. It is accompanied by a skull, posed as a decorative object, and a snake which replaces the usual pet in classic portraits.
I hope that this symbolism and strangeness will allow the public to question the normality of self-representation and beauty.
Niki on a chair, 2020, mixed media on canvas, 160 x 100 cm.