Beautiful and haunting. This is the work of American painter Catherine Graffam. She paints other people too, but her self portraits take my breath away… So. Much. Emotion. Catherine is a transgender woman who explores the complex nature of gender identity. Going through her portfolio chronologically is such a beautiful evolution. Here are her own words about her work:

“Portraits help me better understand the people in my life, including myself, and by painting or drawing I am able to build upon and express relationships. Self portraiture is a way of cathartically process my emotions, and regaining agency over my body.”

Catherine’s work is available on Saatchi Art.