Most portrait artists tend to focus on the eyes of their subjects—after all, the eyes are often called the windows to the soul. Yet I often find myself moving away from that familiar philosophy, choosing instead to explore a person’s identity in its entirety. We are not always fully awake to the world; sometimes we are absorbed in the craft we love, sometimes lost in daydreams, contemplation, or quiet rumination. These in‑between moments carry a profound weight, revealing the human soul in ways a direct gaze sometimes cannot.

What draws me in is the artful interplay of light and shadow, the subtle lines and curves, the overall presence of a person wrapped in a painterly or cinematic impression. Through this language of mood and form, I try to capture not just a face, but a state of being.