A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery features British painter Issy Wood's first major public display of self-portraits. This presentation is part of a new series by the gallery, which aims to examine how contemporary artists use portraiture.
Previously, Wood's artistic focus has largely been on external subjects, including Diet Coke cans, antiques, clocks, ceramics, and leather coats. While she has created self-portraits before, the current exhibition marks her first public foray into this scale and personal depth.
The self-portraits in the display use a close-cropped, fuzzy, and angular compositional style, focusing on elements like skin, lips, and tears. Some works depict her sipping a Diet Coke, applying a face mask, or leaning against her guitar. The exhibition also includes some smaller works showing her bleeding from her cheek and eyebrow.
Despite the often melancholic nature of the self-portraits, which include images of her mid-sob, the collection also incorporates humour. One painting shows Wood framing her face with plastic stick-on monster fingers.