Complex Beings by Malik Roberts

American artist, Malik Roberts, captivates us with his distorted figurines. The African-American painter’s modern take on cubism is jarringly beautiful, reminding us of the complexity of human experience. The joys and pains we face everyday makes every one of us complex. And the sum of our experiences means that we are more than just one thing; more than what we display to the world through our public visages.

Malik’s paintings portray this excellently. His works feature portraits that are almost hauntingly distorted by lines, reminiscent of skulls - our inner complexities bleeding out. Each portrait almost looks like a chunk of the subject was harshly cut away, but an attempt was made to put them back together so that they heal; but thus cuts never truly fit right back because they are forever changed by their experience. All of this is what makes us human and Malik reminds us of this with every brush stroke.

See some of our favourite portraits from the artist below.

Explore more of Malik’s work on his Instagram and website.