The Hive
By Danielle Coenen
Published Issue 149, May 2026
Within each of these faces there is a pattern of creation and destruction, revealing and concealing. I’m drawn to the face because of its inherent psychological weight. Through the way that I paint, the expression I give the subject, features I highlight or conceal, a persona emerges from a process that reflects my own inner experience.
They are a base for me to visually and conceptually illustrate dualities. Visually I harmonize realism and abstraction, combining characteristics of paint and mark making. Conceptually, painting is where I enact what is relevant in my own life — accepting destruction as a catalyst for creation, allowing attachments and relinquishing them, and balancing intellectualism with spontaneous playfulness.
Danielle Coenen is a Boston-based painter of portraits and surrealscapes characterized by saturated palettes and merging of realism with expressive mark making. Her deep interest in psychology is the driving force behind her love for portraiture, with her style evolving from an array of influences including graffiti, surrealism and abstract expressionism. Danielle has exhibited in major cities across the U.S., and is currently represented internationally in Dublin, Ireland.
Follow this talented artist on Instagram | Head to House of Roulx to snag available prints of her work.
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