Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) was on a quest to understand how we perceive our own bodies. Best known for her self-portraits, the Austrian painter examined this topic beyond the canvas, delving into literature, philosophy, and science. Lassnig was inspired by the Austrian scientist and philosopher Ernst Mach, who had theories on the subject, as well as the writer Oswald Wiener. Together, Lassnig and Wiener engaged in perceptual experiments in the 1970s. Her exploration of “body awareness” did not go unnoticed. In 1988, she was the first female artist to win the Grand Austrian State Prize; in 2005, she received the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art. The first Hong Kong retrospective of Lassnig’s work, “Self with Dragon,” presents more than 70 years of her creations. —Henry McGrath