LOOKING?

2022

  Being a queer person of color, it has been a staggering journey to find comfort in my sexual identity. Looking? exposes the viewer to the erotic realm and reflects the way homoerotic identities and acts are omnipresent in a society that tries to avoid and shame them. Through this adversity, I am dedicated to creating work that expresses a beautiful truth – sex, queerness, eroticism and community that are intertwined into the margins of “normality”.

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  The portraits pay tribute to these people who have provided support, escape and encouragement over the years. My process began with the image, which are photographs I took and used for reference. All portraits are painted with flat brushes where blending is created through each laid brush stroke. Working in this style further established emotion and desire as it expresses the familiarity of engaging with the body in an intimate fashion as brush strokes wrap around and build the form.  

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  Sex is complex and not everyone has the same relationship with it, but that does not mean it should be devoid of conversation or recognition. Looking? is uncensored and unashamed, with a focus on normalizing sexual exploration and challenging its audience to expand their erotic boundaries.