# Mesmerizing Macabre Beauties Feline Zegers' Paintings Invoke the Allure of the Dark and Sensuous By Jason Soy | Published 2011-11-03 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feline-zegers References: [society6](http://society6.com/artist/felinezegers) & [felinezegers](http://felinezegers.com/) Feline Zegers' paintings have the unique ability of stirring up contradictory emotions in its viewers. Being both beautiful and grotesque, the [paintings' onlookers are completely entranced](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/optical-flow) to hold eye contact with the talented artist's pieces while simultaneously fighting their urge to look away due to the paintings' shocking and sometimes scary visuals. This is all by design of course, as Feline Zegers admits she enjoys exploring the interplay and relationship between polarizing ideas such as "[good and evil](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nyx-cosmetics-x-wednesday)." Her ability to visually express conflicting concepts on a singular canvas, along with her high level of technical precision and execution, makes her an up-and-coming artist to really look out for. Feline Zegers is a graduate of the Willem de Kooning academy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She continues to work in the Netherlands as both an [illustrator and photographer](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-vonholten). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.6/10 - Popularity: 83% | Activity: 78% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Grotesque Aesthetics:** Artists who explore the beauty in the seemingly ugly or macabre have an opportunity, particularly in the entertainment and fashion industries, to push boundaries and draw in audiences with unexpectedly pleasing visuals. - **Contradictory Emotions:** Creating works that evoke paradoxical feelings in viewers has potential in the advertising and marketing sectors, where innovation in play with emotional discordance can catch viewers off guard and drive engagement. - **Conflicting Ideation:** Brands and organizations seeking to set themselves apart can utilize concept clashes in their messaging and branding, borrowing from the success of artists like Feline Zegers in drawing attention to otherwise unrelated or opposing themes. ### Who This Affects Most - **Entertainment:** The entertainment industry's future of pushing boundaries are artists who showcase opposing ideas of beauty and macabre, such as Feline Zegers. - **Fashion:** Clothing brands have the opportunity to utilize Feline Zegers' tendency to find darkness in beautifully grotesque subjects to gain a new audience and become more fashion-forward. - **Marketing:** In the advertising industry, concept clashes and a focus on emotionally discordant messaging can be an effective way to command viewer engagement, much like Zegers' art does. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mesmerizing Sculpture Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mesmerizing-sculpture.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kayla-rumpp.md) - [Glass Beaded Intricate Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition.md) - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Surreal Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery.md) - [Dark Abstracted Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-minyades-exhibition.md) - [Dynamic Structural Mirror Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zigzag-collection.md) - [Vibrant Design Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neon-primitivism.md)