In highly developed nations today there is a widespread alienation and loneliness that engenders fear and distrust, a restrictive self- righteousness of thought, and a dread of what-comes-next that has created broken societies. This can be traced back to a number of factors: racial discrimination and fear of fading privilege; growing wealth gaps; an increasingly inhospitable natural world; technological advancement surpassing our capacity to adjust. Everywhere I see how this tense climate affects people, and how some of us are turning to misguided and dangerous means of uniting in opposition to social cohesion. The resultant paintings describe a rising epidemic of estrangement through enigmatic, fractured narratives that further isolate the figures within.