Inspired by aged faces that hint at lives fully lived, I paint vivid portraits that celebrate the lines of experience etched on a face – crow’s feet of happiness, crevices of sorrow, creases that reveal both good and hard times.
I paint in a jubilant riot of vibrant colors to create works that wander between realism and caricature. My portraits are not about capturing an external likeness but rather an attempt to lionize the essence of each individual. I purposefully focus closely on the subject, eliminating the distraction of background elements. This method keeps the meaning and scenario of my work open, allowing the viewer to project a personal interpretation onto each face and expression.
The eyes in each portrait, often oversized, reveal the subject’s narrative, capturing that flash of experience, humor, melancholy, or the intimate unspoken connection shared in a single glance. Although I use photographs as my starting point, I rely predominantly on the free-flowing process of memory and creative imagination. Each painting eventually transforms into a concealed self-portrait.
