This Artist Paints Surreal Female Portraits Where Tropical Leaves, Veils And Shadows Slip Across Faces, Turning Identity Into A Lush, Private Jungle

Marie‑Eve Proteau is a Canadian painter based in Austria, known for dreamy, surreal portraits of women whose faces and bodies are partially hidden by plants, hair, veils or patterned shadows.

After earlier experiments painting on unconventional supports like retro TV sets, she now focuses on acrylic on canvas and wood panels, using soft gradients, tropical foliage, snakes, tattoos and reflections to explore identity, vulnerability and the parts of ourselves we conceal. Her work appears in galleries such as Modern Eden and Arteria, in group shows like annual portrait exhibitions and themed series (for example “Year of the Snake”), and has been featured in outlets including Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

More: Instagram

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to Design You Trust Facebook page.

More Inspiring Stories

The Best Street Art Masterpieces of 2013

Here’s How Some of Rock and Roll Legends Would Look Like Today If They Weren’t Dead

This Artist Reimagines Disney Princesses as Twisted Characters and They're So Creepy

An Artist Creates Silly Comics With Unexpected Endings

If Disney Characters Played In Popular Movies And TV Series By Alex Pick

How Much Is Your Body Worth On The Black Market?

Jess Ebsworth Wants Her Trippy Illustrations to “Transport You to Somewhere New and Exciting”

Artist Creates Temporary 3D Paintings On Her Left Hand

Compelling Portraits of People Who Abandoned Civilization for Life in the Wilderness

Chinese Artist Creates Images Of Slothful Animals To Parody How Lazy This Generation Is Becoming

Photographer Reveals the Beauty of Female Body in Minimalistic Monochrome Photographs

Spectacular Winning Images of the International Portrait Photographer of the Year 2021

Cinematic And Moody Portrait Photography By Ryan DeKorver

This Artist Has Spent 5 Years Doodling The Things He Loves About His Wife

Animal Portraits in The Style of Old Masters by Tein Lucasson

Artist Creates Stunning Drawings and Street Art Murals Rooted in Mexican and Indigenous Traditions

Spectacular Winning Images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025

18 Astoundingly Accurate Diagrams Showing What It’s Really Like To Be An Introvert

Spectacular Abstract Photography Winners From The 2024 Siena Drone Awards

You'd Better Buy Her Some Flowers

26 Of The Most Beautiful Book Covers Of 2017

Street Artist Projects Fashionista Animals On Buildings In Paris

"Enchanted Whispers in the Moonlit Grove": Folklore-Inspired Artworks of Fae and Forgotten Magic by C.M. Duffy

ESPN EURO 2012

Terrible Truth Behind: Superb Illustrations By Rafael Alvarez

Artist Dad Turns His 5-Year-Old Daughter’s Endearing Sayings Into Hilarious Illustrations

Eliana Marinari's Portraits: A Fusion of Dreamlike Atmosphere and Fuzzy Detail through Sfumato Techniques

This Artist Paints Icons from Star Wars as Renaissance War Generals and Religious Figures

Two Men Try to Recover After Drinking Too Much in India

"Between Reality And Imagination": Stunning Digital And Concept Art By Jason Scheier