Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — artist's signature Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — edge view Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — detail Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — shown hanging
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Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents.
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents.
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents.
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — artist's signature
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — edge view
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — detail
Beautiful woman's face with colourful bands in her hair, which look like different coloured serpents. — shown hanging
Painting by Leah Mariani 144 Artwork Sold

Medusa's Head

Oil, Canvas, Framed by Artist

17.7in (W) x 17.7in (H) x 2in (D)

Certificate of Authenticity Included
$590

Artwork Description

A contemporary take on Medusa. She was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, who were described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair, whose gaze could turn others to stone.

Over time, depictions of Medusa changed. Originally Gordons were depicted as terrifying ugly, with open mouths, large protruding tongues, menacing tusks, eyeballs almost popping out of their head, and snakes twisting all around. However after the fifth century BC, Gordons were considerably less grotesque and by the Hellenistic period, they were positively radiant. Medusa had transformed from a monster into a mysterious, beautiful woman.

Professionally framed in a oak frame, with a rose-gold tint. Ready to hang.

Artist Bio
Photo of Leah Mariani
Leah Mariani 242 artworks | 94 Sold

I'm a Melbourne artist making art about people, identity and relationships. I draw on my experience as a woman and a mother, and as a result, most of my work is about womanhood. I am a passionate advocate of women’s issues and gender equality.

I have an interest in patterns and lines and include them in nearly all my work. My attraction to patterns comes from my love of order (I'm also an accountant), but I mostly like the flat, decorative element it adds. Sometimes the material inspires the subject, but more often than not, I seek out a particular look, colour or pattern to go with the concept I have in mind. Including patterns is a way of adding another dimension to the work.

In 2020, I won the Unearthed Prize by Art to Art gallery in Balwyn. I've been exhibiting since 2012, when I held my first solo show. Prizes for which I have been shortlisted include the 2025 Omnia Prize, 2019 Footscray Art Prize, the 2018 Contemporary Art Prize, the 2016 Hornsby Prize, the 2016 She competition, the Lethbridge 10000 Small-Scale Art Prize, the 2013 Agendo Award and the 2011 Metro Award.  Early in my career, I won the 2013 Yen magazine Female Artist award and won 2 prizes at the Albert Park College Art Show. My artwork is in private collections worldwide and is part of the Standard Chartered Bank art collection, Albert Park College public collection, and the Image Mundi project.