Terrence Higgins Trust, The Live Auction 2021

Felipe Chavez is a contemporary painter, born in Colombia and now working in London. Using Indian ink and water, he uses his own body to explore the male form and its relationship with sexuality and space as a gay man, alongside his own personal struggles to find where he belongs. By being open and revealing through his art, Chavez says he creates a sense of power and control over who he is and who he chooses to exhibit.

We Are Safer Here comes with a statement of security and vulnerability, whereby the models, though all physically resembling the artist, have taken identities of their own and have found sanctuary in the white walls of the narrative the artist has built for them. 

The piece raises the question:
‘Is the artist only safe when exposed and trapped inside imaginary walls?’

This lot is kindly donated by Felipe Chavez.