My portraits historically connect to ancient realistic African sculptures such as Benin ivory masks and Ife bronze heads. The oil paintings are psychological studies that investigate immortality, the universal masks we all wear, and contemporary notions of beauty and luxury. The labor-intensive process involves making a mold of each model’s face, reworking the plaster cast, producing a version in resin, and adding a chrome layer with artificial eyelashes. The final sculpture then serves as a model for the hyperrealistic oil portrait. This technique maintains the likeness qualities of portraiture while re-presenting a mask that serves as a conduit between the spiritual and natural world.