On close inspection, you can see four figures at the top of the canvas, depicted with different levels of abstraction, sitting on a couch behind two men - one lounging, the other kneeling - in the foreground. A few years ago, I created this painting with the figures in the background which was the original subject of the composition. Those background figures were portraits of dear friends. Between 2021 and 2023 they each passed away - one due to complications related to diabetes, one in a car accident, and the other from a drug overdose. Needless to say, it was a difficult time. I revisited the canvas in 2023, creating a portrait with ghostly lines that represents stepping away from the chaos, confusion and anger of the moment. A year after that I added a kneeling portrait who is looking over his shoulder directly at the audience, addressing this period of loss. While the painting started off as a portrait of friends, it transformed into a statement of a very specific kind of grief for healing, restoring, peace and balance.