Many talented artists gravitate towards makeup for its power to temporarily transform the body into incredible illusions. The same goes for Toronto-based artist Menal Khan; she creates whimsical 3D illustrations on her body that appear to pop off her skin. Although she works in a variety of media, her body art has recently been featured in magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue for its cool trompe l'oeil effects.
One of her most striking works features a playful relationship between the object and its shadow. Using a myriad of different cosmetic products, Khan rendered a realistic paper plane flying across her arm with a shadow of a jet soaring underneath. She explains the meaning behind this decision in an Instagram post, “How others see you is not important. How you see yourself means everything.”
Other examples of Khan's body art showcase what kinds of detailed illustrations one can create with makeup—often in a self-referential way. For example, she often paints her makeup palettes on her hand, rendering even the tiniest of details, such as the glitter of eyeshadow and the reflection of the mirror.
Scroll down to see more makeup art by Khan, and follow the artist on Instagram to keep up to date with her latest projects.
Toronto-based artist Menal Khan creates amazing 3D body art using makeup.
Menal Khan: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Menal Khan.
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