The Muse Series: Reclaiming the Gaze 2022 - 2024

​My "Muse" series explores the complex intersection of visibility, identity, and the historical female archetype. Before turning my focus toward my Chinese heritage, I was deeply engaged with the legacies of 20th-century icons—figures who occupied the blurred lines between subject and creator, such as Audrey Hepburn, Marthe de Méligny, and Peggy Guggenheim.  

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​These paintings are not intended as traditional portraits, but as psychological inquiries into the "muse" as a figure of agency rather than a passive object of beauty. In depicting Peggy Guggenheim, I was drawn to her role as a formidable navigator of the avant-garde; for Marthe de Méligny, it was the intimate, often voyeuristic history within the works of Pierre Bonnard that I sought to deconstruct.

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​My process involves a layering of "collected stories," where the high-fashion elegance of Audrey Hepburn is filtered through an expressive, contemporary lens. By utilizing bold brushwork and a vibrant palette, I aim to strip away the idealized "celebrity" veneer to reveal a more personal, complex human and psychological spirit. These works serve as the foundation for my ongoing investigation into how women navigate power—transforming historical muses into modern heroes.

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Elaine Woo MacGregor

February 2026