Oil on canvas, 12”x12”

This painting sits deliberately at the edge. It is intimate and suggestive, but not explicit. It’s not just about a kiss…it’s about tension, censorship, and contradiction. It challenges the idea that intimacy is more “offensive” than violence.

I wanted to explore the line between what is considered acceptable and what is not. Why is violence so widely tolerated, even celebrated, while something as human as a kiss can provoke discomfort or offense?

This piece was made to question that imbalance. It is the most “appropriate” painting I could create that still pushes boundaries. It does not shout, but it does not whisper either. It leans in close and says, “This is just a kiss. So why does it bother you?”