Paul has felt at odds with traditional notions of masculinity his entire life. What it means to be a man in 2018 is different than what he was taught growing up in the early 1980’s. Since painting is his way of understanding the world, this series of all-male portraits is an exploration of masculinity in a variety of manifestations - from the toxic to the fragile. The expressive application of pigment reduces the literalness of the depiction, engaging with an exploration of color, form, shape, and pattern as windows into the psyche. By deconstructing and rebuilding the figure, his goal is to invite understandings that reach beyond the immediate surface and reveal the complexity of each individual.