"Being Human"

Although he studied ceramics, sculpture and design, Sam Wilson considers himself a “self-taught oil painter” — which might be tough to fathom when you’re face-to-face with his nearly photo-realistic portraits. Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Wilson was drawn to art at an early age but didn’t start painting until the age of 23. During a break from studying marketing and communications at the University of Kansas, he began experimenting with oil paint and, as he tells it, “never looked back.” Since that pivotal moment, Wilson has exhibited work in Kansas and Texas, was named a 2015 finalist for the esteemed Hunting Prize for his piece American Busker and took home top honors in a portrait contest organized by the cultish art supply chain Jerry’s Artarama. As its title reflects, Wilson’s new FL!GHT Gallery exhibition “Being Human” builds on a body of work that employs portraiture as means to explore the human experience. While humanhood is the clear common denominator, Wilson presents “Being Human” as a project that’s more about ideas and stories than the people depicted in the paintings. That’s made especially clear in paintings such as Apex and Wonderlust, both of which depict floating heads donning tense expressions and stylized headgear. In his artist statement, Wilson says he hopes his work evokes a relatable response from viewers and that they might even see a bit of themselves in his subjects. “As human beings we share so many experiences and emotions, this is why we all connect to “Being Human.”’