“Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what
we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide their secrets too well.” Here, René Magritte
is talking about his painting The Son of Man (1964), in which a figure – clad in bowler
hat and suit – is obscured by a bright green apple. It is a classic surrealist image, joining
Sheila Legge’s earlier Trafalgar Square performance (1936) as a key example of
concealment and anonymity in 20th century art. Spanish photographer Fares Micue
(b. 1987) is part of this tradition, returning to Aesthetica with a series of portraits filled
with feathers, leaves, balloons, paper cranes and butterflies. They swirl above and
around her head, hiding her features whilst creating an atmosphere of joy, play and
ideation. Each picture is carefully composed with attention to detail: colour matching,
crisp outlines and precise styling are central.

All images courtesy Fares Micue.