Oil on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the back.

Joshua Miels' paintings are a continuous exploration of the emotional states of mind that we tend to conceal from society, revealing how a face can often be a deceptive facade. It can be challenging to truly comprehend what someone is going through just by looking at them. Even in the toughest of circumstances, we can appear composed and wear the right mask to conceal our inner emotions. Joshua's works delve into the actions and emotions we exhibit to conceal inner turmoil and emotional hardship.

People often put up false fronts, creating the illusion that they are fine. This is particularly true for men who are still expected to conform to old-fashioned ideals such as being strong, brave, and protective. These expectations can be mentally and emotionally damaging, as they may be unattainable for individuals. We all conceal our emotions in different ways, assuming that we are being judged based on our outward appearance. Joshua aims to challenge this assumption.

Through his textured portraits, Joshua aims to convey the ambiguity of physical emotions by limiting the feelings that his subjects exhibit. His large-scale paintings appear somewhat nonchalant, making it difficult for viewers to immediately relate to their direct human emotions. As a result, viewers are prompted to look beyond what they see at face-value, encouraging them to question the real individual.