Carved Paintbrushes Depict Women Who Have Changed History

This article originally appeared on Creators France.

We've covered artists who carve portraits into the tips of pencils, toothbrushes, and all kinds of other materials available in everyday life. Today we invite you to check out the Paintbrush Portraits of Rebecca Szeto. As you can imagine, these portraits are carved into paintbrushes—and they're portraits of women who have left a mark on history. Anonymous or famous, of all ages and cultures, the women featured in this collection range from the first woman to have graduated from MIT to the students kidnapped by Boko Haram three years ago. Some of the brushes depict fictitious people or figures derived from Renaissance or 17th century Baroque paintings.

The artist says, "What interests me in my work is to use as a medium that escapes from usage and language—rust, dead bees, worn out brushes, and any type of reclaimed objects in my surroundings. These are always starting points. It's a way of detaching myself from preconceived ideas about the utilized materials. This way, I can use them freely without worrying about how I used them for the first time years ago."

Visit Rebecca Szeto's website to discover all the stories behind the women of her brushes.

Translated by Meredith Balkus.

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