Between shadows and lights, at the crossroad of twilight, you can grasp the soul of a woman. That’s how UK contemporary artist Zulf draws portraits of ladies half-hidden in the shadows.
Drawn on black paper using a combination of pastel and charcoal, the drawings show the side of a person’s face as it emerges into the light. As if Zulf through his drawings wanted to capture the battle that people face when submerged by darkness.
The result is as melodramatic as it is mesmerizing. The artist’s knowledge of lights and shadows is evident in his minimalist approach to portrait drawing as well as his attention to details. The portraits seems animated as part of them is emerged by light whilst the other by darkness. Experimenting with reflection, the artist gives you the illusion of a moving silhouette.
Zulf cinematic eye is portrayed in the sense of realism he confers to his drawings that is why he adds peach fuzz and texture to the skin of his models.
It takes an exceptional person to look past the façades of people. With his artistic touch, Zulf is not only able to capture it but make others feel it through his drawings. His models become real people striving through the world, fighting the ultimate battle to emerge back into life.
The Interviewer Mag 