Self Portrait in Pastel

About Self Portrait in Pastel

This contemporary acrylic painting is an abstract self-portrait of the artist.

Canadian artist Mike Rachlis has painted his own image several times over the years. It’s a tradition that many famous artists have followed for centuries. Rachlis’s figurative work references historical paintings but he has adopted a visual language that defies tradition. He sees himself as a rebel.
Take a closer look at his wild, gestural brushstrokes, liberal use of impasto, and vivid colour palettes. This portrait treads an inspired line between representation and abstraction. It’s a riot of colour rendered in bright blues, red, green, orange, and white. Charcoal markings add dynamic contrast. The entire head shot pops against the white and gray background. Mike Rachlis sees himself as a ‘painter who is part of a thousand year history of painters’ but his style is resoundingly his own.

“Everything you create is somewhat a self-portrait, more a reflection of the person who made it than what it’s about.” Mike Rachlis

“His paintings make tangible the organization of chaos, they are at once both loose and tight. His use of colour, brush work and marks are completely convincing. When you view a Mike Rachlis painting you are viewing the freedom and unbridled expression of a young maestro.” Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto

Mike Rachlis graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has exhibited throughout Canada and the United States. His work is held in private collections around the world.