Layers of Her is a contemporary portrait series by Dutch artist Laura Boudesteijn, exploring vulnerability, strength and the different layers of identity.

With covered eyes and hidden gazes, the women in this series turn away from the viewer while simultaneously inviting us to look closer. The paintings explore the tension between what is visible and what remains hidden.

Beneath each portrait lies a distinctive textured layer. This underlying layer is not merely a tactile element, but forms an additional layer within the work, both literally and figuratively. The texture remains visible and becomes part of the portrait itself, suggesting that something exists beneath the visible image  a reference to the different layers that can shape a person and their identity.

Laura works with texture, acrylic paint and gold leaf. The combination of rough, tactile surfaces with refined details and expressive brushwork creates a continuous interplay between hidden and visible elements. Strong contrasts further enhance the layered quality of each work.

The series reflects Laura’s ongoing interest in portraiture as more than simply capturing a face. Her portraits explore emotion, identity and the experience of being seen but also of deliberately remaining unseen.