Diana Miller

'Tough Guy' represents a hardened outer shell built from bravado, control and rehearsed indifference. Underneath the armour of strength sits a quieter architecture of fear, tenderness and unmet needs that are concealed. In this painting, the sharp grey and white represent the tough exterior, and the soft pinks and and more textural brushstrokes in the background represent the tender persona lying beneath.

Diana Miller's process of layering is central, both conceptually and materially. In some of the works, the underlying image remains visible; in others, it is softened through glazing or almost entirely concealed beneath dense surface layers. This process mirrors the ways we construct our own facades through life, consciously or not. The foregrounds consist of compositions the artist has created, evolved, and revisited - a visual lexicon developed over time through an elaborate, multifaceted shape-making practice. Like much of her past work, these paintings carry a distinct graphic sensibility, influenced by her background in graphic design and a passion for distilling form.