About the Artwork
Space by Lorraine van Wyk is a striking fine art photography portrait that captures masculine creativity in unconventional and expressive form. The piece features a male figure set against a white backdrop, his face framed by the bold spikes of his dreadlocked hair. The model is painted in rich impasto (a technique where thick layers of paint are built up for added texture) and then photographed. The textured paint almost seems to rise from the surface, bringing a sculptural quality to the work. Reds, blues, purples and pinks are splashed with flashes of gold, creating a sense of movement and spontaneity that feels both powerful and playful.
This portrait is the third in an ongoing exploration of masculinity by van Wyk, following Bomber and Bang. Where Bomber grapples with traditional masculine identity and Bang reveals softness and vulnerability, Space bursts with artistic confidence and wild charm. It honours the eccentric, the expressive and the unfiltered. The result is a portrait that doesn’t just depict a person – it celebrates an idea. Space invites the viewer to rethink what masculine energy can look like when it embraces colour, texture and creative freedom.
