Foundational Hues

Digital Still Life Series

Artist Statement

Foundational Hues reinterprets traditional ideals of beauty and identity through a minimalist and abstracted narrative. Drawing from the muted tones of skin and cosmetics, the series uses geometric forms and subtle textures to critique societal beauty standards. These works reflect the tension between individuality and conformity, prompting viewers to reconsider the cultural constructs of beauty.

Lighting, Colour, and Composition

Created using advanced modelling and rendering software, Foundational Hues draws inspiration from classical portraiture. Soft, directional lighting heightens the contrast between rigid geometric shapes and textured surfaces, while a carefully curated palette, ranging from rich browns to muted tones, echoes the diversity of human identity. Primitive forms, such as cylinders, cubes, and cones, symbolise identity’s core elements, stripped of context and explored through pure form and texture.

The precise arrangement of these geometric forms intensifies the visual tension and complexity within each composition. Textural qualities, meticulously achieved through digital techniques, evoke the beauty industry’s obsession with flawlessness, questioning the value placed on perfection and encouraging reflection on surface appearances.

Narrative

The series critiques the commodification of beauty by reducing it to its essential components: colour, light, texture, and form. This reveals both the allure and limitations of these ideals. By introducing visual tension, the viewer is invited to engage more deeply, navigating the emotional and conceptual complexity within each composition. It serves as a reminder of how identity is packaged, sold, and consumed in modern culture.

Foundational Hues critically examines how societal expectations shape and transform identity. It offers a nuanced reflection on beauty, individuality, and the complexities of cultural conformity.

Medium: 3D Digital Render/Digital Render on Print
Year: 2021
© The Visual Aye