I painted The Red Man at what I like to think was perhaps the end of an artistic era, and the beginning of a new one--one that I had no idea was even emerging. For years, I had held my idols close to my heart, painting step by step after them. The Red Man was the first time I let go, and held on to myself instead. This was a painting of grace. One that it felt the universe helped me make. I had just turned 20, my life a blur (I had no money), but the day I posted this on Twitter, the painting garnering millions of views and my life changed forever. People ask me a lot, "What inspired the painting?" and I smile and respond, "Life." This was a distillation of everything I had known and learnt in these years. All my pain, my tears, my laughs and my joys. It's a painting I'm very proud of.
