Hidden In Plain Sight
Clara Bow
the ‘It Girl’ of the 1920s
Acrylic and charcoal on paper
70 x 100 cm
Clara Bow blazed through the roaring ’20s — wild, magnetic, untouchable. But behind the spotlight lurked a brutal past of poverty, survival, and childhood marked by abuse and violence. This portrait fractures her glamour with stark contrasts: raw charcoal and fluorescent pigments collide in layered exposure. A tribute to the heavy price of visibility — when charm becomes armor.
A colorful abstract painting of a woman with curly blue hair, her eyes closed, and wearing large earrings.
An abstract portrait painting of a woman with curly blue hair against a blue background, using expressive brushstrokes and a vibrant color palette.
A colorful abstract portrait of a woman's face with closed eyes and lips slightly parted, surrounded by shades of blue, pink, and yellow.
‘it’ - starring clara bow
It (1927) catapulted Clara Bow into legend as the original “It-Girl.” A silent film with a loud legacy, it bottled the Roaring Twenties’ fizz: sex appeal, wit, and unstoppable charm. Bow didn’t just act—she radiated a magnetic It factor that turned a shopgirl’s flirtation into a cultural earthquake.