Artist creates beautiful portraits of the dying
Artist Claudia Bicen has created a beautiful portrait series exploring life, death, and the thoughts we have as we approach our final moments. Titled “Thoughts in Passing”, the hyper-realistic artworks profile individuals in hospice care and the struggles and triumphs they face as they near death.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Bicen says creating the portrait series of nine terminally ill patients taught her to completely re-evaluate the meaning of life and what’s truly important. “I found that, for most people, what mattered was how they had participated in the world and what they had created -- whether that was through connection with their children, community, work or nature,” she said. “Though I spoke with people from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, nobody wished they had made more money, worked harder or bought more things.”
Flip through the gallery above to see the stunning life-sized portraits for yourself. If you’d like to learn more about the stories behind each subject, Bicen has recorded conversations with each person, available on her Vimeo page.
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