Comme des frères

In Comme des frères, three young men stand not as archetypes, but as human beings, open, connected, and unguarded.

This piece challenges what it means to be male in a world that still asks men to withhold tenderness. Too often, society confines masculinity within narrow borders: strength without softness, pride without vulnerability, presence without emotion. With Comme des frères, I wanted to paint something different, a visual permission slip for men to feel, to reach out, to care.

As a French expressionist artist working within the Palm Springs and LA art scenes, I’ve always been interested in how cultural expectations shape emotional freedom. The stereotypes that surround men, machismo, metrosexuality, aggression, even fear of misinterpretation, can prevent genuine human connection. This work confronts that reality through gesture and gaze.

The figures are close but not posed; their comfort with proximity reflects trust rather than tension. There’s affection in their posture, not romantic, but relational. It’s about brotherhood as emotional safety.

Through expressionist painting techniques, I used layered tones and textured brushwork to amplify that feeling of closeness. Subtle warmth in the palette softens the composition, reflecting compassion within strength.

At its core, Comme des frères is about rewriting a visual language of masculinity, showing that emotion does not diminish strength, it defines it.

This piece belongs to the Comme des... series, which explores relationships that are chosen rather than inherited, the brothers, sisters, and friends whose emotional bonds can be as strong as family.