O 2018

Curator: The tones in this portrait create an immediate sense of warmth. There’s an intimacy present—like a stolen glance during a quiet afternoon. Editor: This is Vincent Xeus's painting, "O", created in 2018. As a painter working today, his engagement with themes like intimism and genre painting offers an interesting reflection on how we understand portraiture in the 21st century. But let's return to the materiality; notice the tangible brushwork. Curator: Absolutely. The layering of paint is incredibly visible; it feels immediate and tactile. The visible process allows us to see how the artist built up form and light with palpable strokes of paint, it almost allows you to rebuild it in your own mind, step-by-step. Editor: That tactility counters the smooth perfection often associated with painted portraits and also complicates the typical view of 'fine art.' Considering that in relation to how artists once employed teams in studios, it poses questions about labour, skill, and artistic value, right? Curator: Indeed. It challenges assumptions about art and labour. This feels hand-made, direct, and almost refreshingly personal. In a way, that echoes the composition itself – that informal posture on what I assume is a sofa is inviting, comfortable. Editor: And by eschewing traditional idealized portrait conventions, it aligns more with our contemporary culture of imagery that values naturalism. The question then becomes, how does its public reception influence artistic trajectory when a portrait looks so casual? Curator: Its intimacy asks the viewer to reflect on the portrait's power in different cultural contexts. It is an insight into contemporary social values through art, rather than art as this removed cultural achievement. Editor: Looking closely has broadened my awareness, linking its aesthetics with how images function socially today. Curator: For me, I'm drawn back to that tangible connection to process and technique; the materiality embodies this raw connection.