Hélène Maghin is a contemporary painter whose work digs into the psychological landscapes of human experience. With influences from cubism, surrealism, and magical realism, she weaves powerful visual stories that explore themes like social control, personal confession, and the blurred line between public performance and private truth.

Her Panopticon series looks at how society’s watchful eye shapes us, using tight spaces and stark, almost clinical lighting. In contrast, Confessions captures those charged, quiet moments just before something is revealed, painted in rich, cinematic colors that create a sense of tension.

Focusing mainly on portraiture, Maghin often uses theatrical elements like curtains and lighting to build these emotionally charged spaces. For over fifteen years, her work has explored themes of introspection and intimacy, prompting viewers to reflect on the external forces that influence our behavior and the internal world where resistance and authenticity emerge.

Based in Belleville, Maghin's evolving style continues to explore the contradictions of human life — the pull between connection and concealment, surveillance and safety, conformity and rebellion.