Lot 31

Sleeping Tiger is the first of a series of paintings exploring how men deal with alexithymia: the inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by oneself. “As of late, I’ve been putting more intention in my friendships with men, asking questions about love and how they want to be loved. In this painting, my friend Sehmim is in a pensive state, considering his own personhood. In the decade I’ve known him, this conversation felt particular significant. Of all the conversations I’ve had with him, I don’t think there was a moment of existential pondering. Our dialogue depended on wit or surface level small talk, always having an answer for each other. We hadn’t considered we could explore each other’s identities—masculinities together, as platonic friends. The vulnerability of outwardly not knowing who we are, in front of each other, felt noteworthy.”