Christopher Martin’s
(Seeing Triple) Lady Portrait (2023) extends his distinctive visual language of repetition, symbolism, and restraint into a quietly mesmerizing study of identity and perception. Executed in bold black and white on a linen banner, the work depicts three overlapping female faces rendered in Martin’s signature graphic style — their serene expressions simultaneously identical and subtly distinct.
The repetition of the visage evokes ideas of multiplicity and continuity — a meditation on how identity, memory, and presence coexist in layers rather than singular forms. The rhythm of the faces, slightly offset and fading into one another, suggests the passage of time or the echo of consciousness, as though the subject exists across different moments of awareness.
Visually, Martin employs the economy of means characteristic of his practice: a limited palette, clean linework, and a striking use of negative space. Yet within this minimalism lies emotional depth — the soft gaze of the “lady” oscillates between intimacy and detachment, individuality and archetype. The work invites viewers to contemplate the self as both singular and collective, fixed and fluid.
The banner format, reminiscent of ceremonial or heraldic objects, imbues the piece with a quiet authority. In contrast to its restrained composition, the title (Seeing Triple) introduces a playful ambiguity, hinting at altered perception, reflection, or even spiritual triads — body, mind, and soul.
Through (Seeing Triple) Lady Portrait, Martin continues to explore how repetition can transform simplicity into transcendence. The work becomes both portrait and mirror — a visual mantra for the complexity of being seen, remembered, and multiplied through time.
