These are select images from an ongoing, untitled series of portraits created on wood panels. This series represent my interests in multimedia experiments in portraiture and figural representation. Through layers of colored pencil, graphite, and (sometimes) acrylic paint, I represent each sitter faithfully, while indulging in the varied, rich colors I find in each face.

Ever since antiquity, artists have looked at the human body as both a vessel of beauty and meaning. I have always been deeply fascinated by portraiture, and started this series in 2018. That year, I spent months sitting in front of models and rendering them from direct observation. It became an intensively meditative and profound experience for me.

The raw wood offers a more complex and tactile canvas for me to work from. I enjoy the way the natural surface emerges as a part of each subject’s complexion by creating undertones and highlights. Even when I am not able to draw from life, I strive to capture the sitter’s essence, letting their posture, emotions, and individuality dictate the style and colors of my work.