New work asking questions.

My progression into this new style feels less like abandoning realism, and more like expanding what realism can accomplish.

My earlier black-and-white work was rooted in contemporary figurative realism, drawing heavily from photography and cinematic portraiture. I intentionally removed color, allowing value, light, and composition to carry the emotional weight of the image. That work remains an important foundation. But over time, I found myself asking different questions. I became more interested in what realism could communicate beyond representation. I wanted the painting to do more than depict a subject—I wanted it to tell a story, suggest a metaphor, and invite interpretation.

This new work shifts toward social realism infused with surreal symbolism. It remains firmly grounded in observation and representational painting but now serves a larger purpose. Color has also taken on a very important role. Where I once eliminated it deliberately, I now use it selectively. Color becomes narrative rather than decoration.

Instead of asking the viewer to admire the subject, it invites them to inhabit the environment, consider its symbolism, and discover their own interpretation.

Ultimately, I hope the new work does something my earlier work could not. Rather than simply presenting an image, it asks questions. It encourages viewers to linger, to wonder, and to engage emotionally and intellectually with the world the painting creates.

This evolution feels like a natural progression, The painting itself becomes a conversation rather than a conclusion.

That's the direction I want to continue exploring—where realism becomes expansive enough to hold narrative, symbolism, and the complexities of contemporary life without ever losing its connection to the human figure and emotion.

More to come.