Smells Like Blood

Smells Like Blood is a portrait of the cosplayer identifying as Zio_cos dressed in the character of Rei Ayanami, pilot of Eva Unit 00 from the Japanese animated series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work is one of two similar portraits exploring notions of identity and agency. Here we see the subject about to complete their transformation into the character of Rei through the addition of the final red contact lens. Here we are privy to a moment of intimacy: the cosplayer between full immersion into their character, but quite clearly not the person wearing the mask of their street clothes persona. This is the moment of ultimate agency where they definitively choose the identity they wish to put forward. They have shed the expectations of the everyday, humdrum world and with the final delicate touch of a lens to an eyeball they embrace a world of colour, theatricality and freedom of expression.

Rendered with oil paints in his typical high fidelity technique Tom has presented this work on canvas that has been gessoed and sanded multiple times to give a smooth and uniform surface to take the paint. The work has been finished with a high quality natural oak timber frame chosen to suitably enhance the work.

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Born and raised in Adelaide Tom came to painting after a rich and eclectic tapestry of life experiences and now makes high fidelity works focused on asking questions.

With a background in health sciences as well as architecture and design Tom's paintings are deeply rooted in the notion of critical thinking and the forging of human identity. Concepts of community versus individuality permeate the work as well as complexity versus minimalism.

The use of realism in traditional oil paints gives pause to the rapid consumptive nature of the modern digital image. They ask the viewer to rest a while, observe and let the painting take one's thoughts where it will. The works do not regale with a bombastic answer but rather sequester time for a deeper question.

He has been a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2016, 2019 and again in 2022. He was the winner of the Kennedy Art Prize People's Choice Award 2021 and 2023. He was a Bluethumb Art Prize Finalist in 2022 as well as a Finalist in the Darling Portrait Prize 2022 at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.

Since 2013 Tom has been involved in the acclaimed pop-up fine art workshop school The Art Academy in Adelaide run by internationally renowned artist Robin Eley. Working first as a technical assistant and later as an instructor Tom has continued the never-ending journey of refining his craft and sharing that passion with others; for a lesson in painting is a lesson in thinking and continues to be to this day.