New York Academy of Art
Show Me the Steep and Thorny Way to Heaven, 2025, oil on panel, 30 x 30 inches
I started this project to better understand the structure of the male gaze and how to turn that lens on the masculine form. What I have found has been that men don’t get to feel beautiful or vulnerable, and that many of them yearn to be seen for who they are. The men portrayed in my work are friends, acquaintances, and strangers. This work should complicate and expand ideas of masculinity, identity, beauty and empathy. I want the viewer to see these men as I do, to feel affection towards them, to explore their own feelings of desire, of longing, or closeness. They are documents of how I feel about these men, how they feel about themselves, and how we can all feel towards each other.
Instagram | @matthewconwayartist
Website | www.matthewconwayartist.com