Nathan Grixti is an award winning artist and mental health thought leader based in Adelaide, South Australia.
"My recent works are about capturing the intersect of sensitivity, strength and masculinity of the bodies, sexualities and identities of men who do not conform to societal hetero-normative or binary gender standards. As sexually and gender diverse men, many of us have had to hide who we are from the world, or who we were when we were younger, out of fear it would be seen by others as something ugly, something to be ridiculed or attacked, and ultimately as something to be rejected. I hope to capture in my art all of the joys, strengths, passions, heartaches, losses, challenges and love that all gay, bisexual and trans men experience in their lives, expressed through visually dynamic and evocative imagery.
In addition to illustrative works which utilise a range of traditional and digital techniques, I work primarily with charcoal on paper, and to a scale which allows for sweeping gestures and bold mark making. For me, charcoal on paper represents something primal and undiluted; the rawest of materials and the foundation of all contemporary art and language. As such, it is the perfect medium for me to use when getting to the essence of who these men are, and for capturing the raw, unrestrained and stunning beauty which I believe exists at the heart of all same sex attracted and gender diverse people."
"My recent works are about capturing the intersect of sensitivity, strength and masculinity of the bodies, sexualities and identities of men who do not conform to societal hetero-normative or binary gender standards. As sexually and gender diverse men, many of us have had to hide who we are from the world, or who we were when we were younger, out of fear it would be seen by others as something ugly, something to be ridiculed or attacked, and ultimately as something to be rejected. I hope to capture in my art all of the joys, strengths, passions, heartaches, losses, challenges and love that all gay, bisexual and trans men experience in their lives, expressed through visually dynamic and evocative imagery.
In addition to illustrative works which utilise a range of traditional and digital techniques, I work primarily with charcoal on paper, and to a scale which allows for sweeping gestures and bold mark making. For me, charcoal on paper represents something primal and undiluted; the rawest of materials and the foundation of all contemporary art and language. As such, it is the perfect medium for me to use when getting to the essence of who these men are, and for capturing the raw, unrestrained and stunning beauty which I believe exists at the heart of all same sex attracted and gender diverse people."
