Stoic Individuals Immersed in Nature: Surreal Oil Artwork Unveils Their Lively Inner Feelings
Merging fantastical elements with intricate realism, Lara Hochreiter’s oil portraits delve into our fundamental relationship with the natural environment. Each vibrant painting acts as a gateway to the subject’s internal realm, expressing lived experiences through nature-based symbolism. Hochreiter articulates, “I create from the space where vulnerability and resilience coexist.”
In two distinct pieces, Hochreiter illustrates her subjects clutching oversized hearts from which plant life emerges. Similar to how Frida Kahlo employed hearts to signify emotional suffering in her artwork, Hochreiter utilizes the human organ to encapsulate feelings that we all possess yet frequently find difficult to articulate. “I investigate the heart not merely as a physical organ, but as a fertile vessel—a space where pain, memory, identity, and beauty intertwine,” she shares. “The flowers blooming from it are not ornamental, but rather testament to emotional labor: development through adversity.”
In additional pieces, Hochreiter investigates motifs of mythology. One artwork portrays a contemporary Tiresias, a sightless prophet from Greek mythology renowned for his exceptional foresight. The male figure is depicted with birds carrying flowers embedded with eyeballs, symbolizing his capacity to foresee the future. “Though lacking sight, Tiresias perceived more acutely than others, deciphering omens, dreams, and nature’s signals, such as the flight and melodies of birds,” Hochreiter elucidates. “His wisdom and prophecies often provided vital guidance in the mythological narratives of figures like Oedipus and Odysseus, merging divine insight with a deep comprehension of human fate.”
Hochreiter’s breathtaking paintings are finally receiving the recognition they merit. She recently secured First Prize in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize’s Catherine K. Gyllerstrom Emerging Artist Award for 2025, and her creations are presently showcased at the Haven Gallery in New York.
Explore some of the artist’s latest works below and discover more by following Lara Hochreiter on Instagram.
Barcelona-based artist Lara Hochreiter’s captivating oil portraits examine human emotions and our bond with nature.
Each vivid painting serves as a portal into the subject’s inner landscape, uncovering lived experiences through nature-infused symbolism.
Lara Hochreiter: [Website](https://larahochreiter.com/) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lara.hoch_painter/)
*My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Lara Hochreiter.*
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