portraits Archives — Colossal

a surreal portrait by photographer Ben Zankn depicting a figure sitting at a seat, its head and back turned the opposite way

Ben Zank’s Portraits Teeter Between Surrealism and the Mundane

March 20, 2026

an abstracted landscape painting by Patrick Martinez with mixed media elements such as neon, photo collages, ceramic tile, and a tarp banner

‘Let Us Gather In a Flourishing Way’ Convenes 58 Artists to Survey Contemporary Latinx Painting

March 20, 2026

a detail images of a collection of boxes with a portrait of a farm worker by Narsiso Martinez. in the figure's glasses is a reflection of other people standing in a group

In Cardboard and Gold, Narsiso Martinez Highlights the Workers of American Agriculture

March 4, 2026

a photo by Constanze Han of circus performers, one juggling, in a primary colored Cuban hall

Inside the Havana School for Cuban Circus Performers

February 20, 2026

a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman with a floating head and a swan standing next to each other. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.

Aunia Kahn’s Lush Portraits Depict a Playful Inner Landscape

February 19, 2026

A photo by Chung Cheong Wong of a bird of prey with one visible eye through its splayed wing feathers

See the Best of Nearly Half a Million Entries to the Sony World Photography Awards

February 18, 2026

an editorial flat-lay portrait by Szilveszter Makó of a woman in an ornate gown. the background consists of a checkered floor and two dimensional silhouettes of a man and arms reaching for her

Szilveszter Makó’s Surreal Photographs Reconstruct the Boundaries of Portraiture

February 12, 2026

an installation view with portraits by Amoako Boafo and a patterned sofa

Amoako Boafo Weaves His Portraiture into an Architectural Replica of His Accra Studio

February 10, 2026

A photograph by River Claure of a figure inside of a mount of sheepskins, dotted with white birds, in the desert

Otherworldly Landscapes and Bolivian Culture Merge in River Claure’s Mystical Photos

January 22, 2026

a diptych by Kris Knight of a portrait of a dark haired man on the left and hydrangeas on the right

The Language of Flowers Meets Queer Desire in Kris Knight’s Tender Portraiture

January 21, 2026

An oil painting after Velazquez by Derrick Guild of the Infanta Margarita in a huge gown, with the composition in a grid of paper tags

Derrick Guild Summons Historical Portraits in Fragmented Trompe-l’œil Paintings

January 9, 2026

a black and white portrait by Pieter Henket of a person seated on a stool wearing a lace dress and a framed frilly lace piece on their face

‘Birds of Mexico City’ Celebrates a New Generation Defining Queerness

January 7, 2026

A gif of a portrait being restored

Watch Julian Baumgartner’s Satisfying and Precise Process of Restoring a Historical Portrait

December 18, 2025

Two ceramic vessels inspired by Wedgewood pottery and Greek amphorae, by Roberto Lugo, featuring black relief imagery of figures walking around, plus graffiti motifs on the bases

Historic Pottery Styles Meet Pop Culture and Contemporary Issues in Roberto Lugo’s Sculptures

December 16, 2025

a painting by Manuela Solano of a woman seated in an ornate carriage

Memory and Novelty Converge for Manuela Solano, Who Adopted a New Process After Losing Her Sight

November 19, 2025

a colorful artwork by Felandus Thames made with strings of beads, featuring a number of patterns and the portrait of a Black man named Amos Haskin

Vibrant, Beaded Portraits by Felandus Thames Honor Memories and the Black Diaspora

November 18, 2025