Self Aware

Oil on Canvas

One of my first times working with oil, this three painting series emerged from a moment of self awareness in my practice. I realized that when asked to paint a woman, I instinctively defaulted to a white subject. Rather than moving past that realization, I used it as a starting point. The trilogy became a deliberate effort to interrupt habit and examine how unspoken bias can shape who is centered in portraiture. Each figure meets the viewer’s gaze directly, asserting presence rather than passivity.

The gaze functions as a point of confrontation and reciprocity. These women do not exist to be observed quietly or idealized. They look back, challenging the viewer to recognize them as individuals rather than as variations of a presumed default. Placed together, the paintings resist hierarchy, allowing difference to exist without comparison and giving equal visual weight to each subject.

Working in black and white oil allowed the focus to remain on structure, light, and gaze. The absence of color slows the viewer’s reading of each face, directing attention to form, contrast, and expression. Layering and tonal variation became tools for careful observation, reinforcing the intention to paint with awareness and deliberation rather than automatic instinct.

June 2016