Artist Michael Vilkin
Oil on stretched canvas
48 x 72 in (122 x 183 cm)
About The Artwork
The painting depicts a muscular, middle-aged man with short white hair, seated sideways at a wooden table, gazing forward. His extended right arm holds a sculpted head, conveying a contemplative mood. The background features a gradient of blue tones, transitioning from dark to light, adding depth. Soft lighting highlights the man’s features and the sculpted head’s details, lending realism.
Artist Vilkin leaves his piece open to interpretation to fit every viewer’s experience. According to Vilkin, the painting might show a man holding his feminine mask available but at arm’s length. It might show one friend supporting another who is broken and needs support. Or it might be a gay man removing the mask he has worn and showing his real self to the world.