This ongoing series of indepth, and often intrusive, self-portraits reflects my everyday life, my physical and mental health, and some one-off events or episodes that help tell my story. I decided to show myself naked in all of them as an experiment in shedding the armour I often hide behind to gain confidence in certain settings, namely my wardrobe of clothes. Personally, I have no problems regarding male nudity which is often regarded as smutty or something to snigger at childishly, or even to demean the male figure in art as mere 'homoerotic' and not to be taken seriously. Showing these paintings, and hopefully one day exhibiting them, for me was a much greater challenge than simply creating them, as I am a very introverted individual, whereas in public I can give off an aura of self-confidence.
Both having type 1 diabetes and long-term mental health issues has, for many years, had a profound effect on my day-to-day existence, and I hope that depicting these issues in my private work may strike a chord with others in a similar position.
