Face to Face

I’ve always believed art should provide a rich reflection of the world around us. But when I look at a lot of what we see online, especially on social media, that reflection can feel pretty limited. There’s so much pressure toward one idea of what a person is supposed to look like, and it can feel like individuality gets lost in the process.

This ongoing series is my way of pushing back against that. I paint people from different backgrounds and places because I want to celebrate the things that make us different. I want someone to look at a painting and recognize something of themselves in it—a face, a feature, an expression, or even just a feeling of familiarity.

When I started looking for references, I was surprised by how often images of people from underrepresented communities were reduced to stereotypes. I wanted to move past that and paint people as people, rather than as representations of an entire culture.

For me, representation is about more than simply seeing someone who looks like you. It’s about seeing those differences treated as something worth celebrating. Our faces carry pieces of our families, cultures, histories, and experiences, and I want my paintings to make space for all of that.