There’s a version of you that nobody has ever seen. A version that doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t fear, and doesn’t doubt. It’s buried deep within, waiting for the moment you finally let it out. This is called the “alter ego,” and it’s the core idea behind Lebanese artist Antony Abi’s bold and striking hand-painted portraits.

Through his distinctive pop-art language, Antony explores the space between reality and imagination, creating portraits that reveal not just who someone is, but who they could become.

His paintings give form to an alter ego, not a mask or an act of pretending, but a second identity embodying the traits we sometimes wish we had: strength, confidence, power. That voice inside that rises when the real you feels too small to carry the weight of the world.

This is expressed through Antony’s signature visual language: bold, asymmetrical faces and an exaggerated eye that became his signature “Alter Ego Eye.” It acts like a portal into the deeper self, inviting viewers to look past the surface and question what lies beneath.

Inspired by celebrities, cartoon characters, and international icons, he transforms the familiar into something striking with a distinctive visual style. Two sides of a face diverging yet coexisting in the same portrait. This approach raises a central question in his work: How much of who we are is visible, and how much remains hidden, waiting to be revealed?

“The eye is the soul’s mirror,” Antony says. Through it, he invites us into those hidden layers of identity and spirit. His portraits become more than images of their subjects. They become invitations, prompts to confront the alternate versions of ourselves, the ones we often keep tucked away. In the end, Antony Abi’s work celebrates individuality, the complexity of being human, and the power of looking deeper into life’s hidden layers. With each portrait, he honors the human spirit while reflecting his homeland’s rich cultural heritage.