Held Gaze

Held Gaze began with the idea of what happens when we really look at one another.

I have always been fascinated by faces — not because of perfect features, but because of the way a look can say so much before a word is spoken. Curiosity, caution, recognition, confidence, affection, distance — sometimes all at once.

In this work, the faces overlap and press into one another, each with a different expression and direction of gaze. Some look towards you, some past you, some towards each other. I liked the tension of that. It feels social, but also private.

The bold colour and simplified forms came naturally. I wanted this contemporary abstract figurative artwork to feel immediate and alive, with each face becoming part of a larger rhythm rather than standing alone.

For me, Held Gaze is about connection, but not necessarily an easy one. It is about that moment when someone really sees you — and you realise you are seeing them too.

There is something powerful in that exchange. No performance, no explanation. Just presence.