Self Portrait Applying Lipstick

a painting by the magpie girl

Self Portrait Applying Lipstick, Oil on Canvas, 30cm*40cm

To understand this self-portrait, one must first look to the artist's inspiration: the contemporary painter Doron Langberg. Known for his tender depictions of queer life, Langberg’s work is a masterclass in emotional resonance. His subjects—lovers, friends, himself—are rendered with a fever dream of color and sensation. Skin is a symphony of lavender, green, and gold, thrumming with inner life; his brushstrokes are loose, urgent, and unapologetically messy, dissolving the lines between figuration and abstraction to capture something far more true than a photograph ever could. His is a style that speaks the language of queer intimacy: glances, touches, and private worlds made beautifully, boldly public.

Doron Langberg via. Galerie Magazine "Next Big Things: Doron Langbeg (https://galeriemagazine.com/next-big-things-doron-langberg/)

This piece is by an artist who has chosen to go by the pseudonym "the mapgie girl." Paying homage to Langberg’s style, the painting's gaze turns decisively inward, transforming a daily ritual into a meditation on identity, performance, and the self. 

The artist’s decision to use a mirror is the key to understanding this painting. A reflection allows one to fully see a version of oneself. In that fragile moment, identity is not fixed, but something that can be shaped. For many in the queer community, this is a real experience. The mirror is where you get to decide who you are, often pushing back against who the world tells you to be.

The subject of the painting leans close to the mirror, applying lipstick. The act of applying lipstick is a deliberate, potent gesture of self-definition. The painting’s style reinforces this feeling. Inspired by Doron Langberg’s intimate and vibrant approach, the artist uses loose, energetic brushstrokes and a mix of colors. Cool blues blend into warm pinks, not just abstractly capturing the moment but showing how the artist wishes they could live—hopeful, alive, and messy in a way that feels honest, not careless. Indeed, this raw, messy visual style reveals the emotion behind the moment. The vague definition of the reflection, the motion of the hand, and the blend of colors all come together to make the scene feel real and fleeting. It challenges the idea that identity is something permanent or simple. Instead, the painting suggests that we are always changing, always in a process of formation.

In the end, this painting captures something essential about the queer experience: the ongoing, conscious act of self-creation. For many, identity is not a given; it is a choice made again and again, often in the face of external pressure to conform. The painting tells the story of claiming the right to define oneself, to move from being seen as an object to living as the author of one’s own life. To be queer is, in itself, a creative act—a daily practice of bringing one’s truest self into the world.