Wilson Yerxa

I draw and paint to speak through figures in a narrative. I want to discuss themes like anxiety, eroticism, empathy and masculinity. I use myself as a life model for drawings and paintings because I am the only lens I have to see these topics through. Like an ambivalent speaker in a poem, the figures portray an uncertainty about the way they should be living.

My work is strongly influenced by poetry, film and performance. I wrote poetry, short plays and made short films before I began painting. From 2013-2018, I was a founding member of the Massachusetts-based poet’s theater and performance troupe, Connecticut River Valley Poet’s Theater (CRVPT).

My artistic goal is to create a relatable voice, the voice of an author asking the same quietly held question a viewer of the work may have.