Often cited as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary European art, Belgian born visual artist, Marie-Jo Lafontaine (1950 - ) works across numerous artistic disciplines. Lafontaine utilizes a combination of installation, mixed media, photography, sculpture and video in order to explore multilayered themes of what she classifies as ‘society behind the portrait’. As a youth, Lafontaine undertook her study at the Ecole Nationale Suprieure de Architexture et des Arts Visuels, La Chambre in Brussels. During her studies, Lafontaine developed an intense interest in the representation of identity, cultural spaces and youth culture; these themes continue to form the basis of much of her current work. Between 1992 and 1997 Lafontaine lectured at the Hochschule for Kunst und Medien, ZKM, in Karlsruhe whilst holding a number of additional professorships at varied visual arts institutions. Lafontaine has exhibited widely, and has received numerous awards on both a national and international scale. She continues to live and work in Brussels.