In the Back of Your Mind — Abstract Dual Face Portrait

The Thoughts That Never Quite Disappear

In the Back of Your Mind is an abstract dual face portrait exploring the relationship between what we consciously acknowledge and the thoughts, impressions and memories that remain quietly beneath the surface.

The title refers to something familiar: an idea that never entirely leaves us, a memory that occasionally resurfaces, or a feeling that remains present even when our attention is elsewhere.

Rather than illustrating a specific memory or emotion, TESOLEE approaches this concept through two overlapping faces, fragmented geometric forms and a vivid arrangement of contrasting colours.

The result is a composition that appears immediately recognisable but becomes more complex the longer it is observed.

Two Faces, One Composition

The most distinctive feature is the relationship between the two sets of facial elements.

On the left, a partially visible eye emerges from a bright yellow field, its lower section interrupted by a bold black geometric form. The surrounding features suggest a face that is present but incomplete.

Towards the upper centre, a second eye looks outward from an intricate arrangement of turquoise, green and earthy red.

Although both eyes occupy the same composition, they seem to belong to different visual structures. Their positioning creates an intriguing sense of overlapping identities, as though two perspectives or moments have been brought together within a single image.

The recognisable nose and softly rendered lips provide a point of connection between these competing forms, preventing the composition from dissolving entirely into abstraction.

Colour as a Visual Language

The artwork is dominated by saturated yellow, turquoise, coral-red and orange, balanced by passages of muted green and deep navy.

These colours do more than establish visual impact. They separate and reconnect the different elements of the face, allowing individual features to emerge from unexpected places.

A dark geometric block interrupts the left side, creating a sharp contrast with the luminous yellow surrounding it. Elsewhere, softer transitions of turquoise and green blend into the warmer facial tones.

Expressive brushwork adds texture and movement, giving the composition a painterly character despite its strong geometric structure.

The interaction between vivid colour and fragmented imagery creates a feeling of controlled disorder, where seemingly unrelated elements gradually form a recognisable whole.

What Remains Beneath the Surface

The title introduces a psychological dimension without prescribing a single interpretation.

The overlapping faces might suggest the relationship between conscious thought and memory, between the identity we present and the impressions we carry privately.

Alternatively, they may simply reflect the way perception works, with the mind assembling familiar features from incomplete visual information.

Neither interpretation is definitive.

The artwork encourages viewers to recognise the face before questioning how its components fit together. What initially appears to be one subject gradually reveals competing forms and visual relationships.

This ambiguity gives the composition its lasting appeal.

A Distinctive Contemporary Presence

In the Back of Your Mind brings an energetic visual presence to contemporary interiors. Its bold colour palette contrasts particularly well with restrained architectural finishes, including graphite, concrete, stone, natural timber and neutral coloured walls.

The composition also provides an interesting focal point in more colourful environments, where its turquoise, yellow and coral tones can connect with surrounding furnishings and materials.

Whether displayed in an industrial loft, contemporary gallery-style space or carefully designed residential interior, the artwork introduces character without relying on conventional portraiture.

In the Back of Your Mind reflects TESOLEE’s exploration of identity through abstraction, where overlapping forms become a means of examining the relationship between what we see, what we remember and what remains quietly present in our thoughts.