In the Shadows (Boy Meets Man)
In the Shadows (Boy Meets Man)
by Noah Buchanan
© Noah Buchanan
Oil on linen
Noah Buchanan undertook a BA at the University of California Santa Cruz and an MA at New York Academy of Art. His work has been seen in numerous exhibitions in the United States and he was awarded the Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2012. He was previously selected for the BP Portrait Award in 2002 and 2016.
The portrait is of Kai, the son of Buchanan’s girlfriend. Their relationship is close, as Buchanan met Kai’s mother following the death of her husband, Kai’s father. The portrait was painted at the coastal cliffs of Santa Cruz. Buchanan waited for the sun to set, so that the light would provide dark shadows. He says: ‘It was cold and I think the discomfort is apparent in Kai’s pose.’