About the Artwork

This artwork is a reflection of the core concept of Under the Surface, a collection focused on the emotional and psychological layers that lie beneath any face or identity.

In this piece, Alcam delves into the universe that lives beyond appearance by taking Jean-Michel Basquiat as his subject. Basquiat, an icon of neo-expressionism and a symbol of raw creative power, becomes the ideal figure through which to explore the limits between visibility and emotion.
Alcam begins by constructing a realistic portrait in oil, capturing the structure and expressive intensity of Basquiat’s features without entering strict hyperrealism. This underpainting establishes the physical presence, the “seen”.

Upon this foundation, the artist builds a second, transformative layer in acrylic, interpreting Basquiat’s own visual language through gestures, abstract forms and controlled distortion. This upper layer does not erase the first, but interacts with it, allowing fragments of the realistic portrait to reappear like echoes from beneath the surface.

The dialogue between these two layers mirrors the central question of the collection:
What part of a person belongs to the visible world, and what part only exists within emotion?

The result is a portrait that transcends representation. It invites the viewer to encounter both Basquiat and themselves, revealing that meaning often lives not on the surface, but in the hidden, intimate spaces where art becomes feeling.

Materials & Techniques

This work is created through a dual-layer process that embodies the conceptual direction of the collection.

First layer – Oil (Realistic Portrait)
Alcam paints a realistic depiction of Basquiat in oil, focusing on facial structure, volume and expression. Although detailed, it is not hyperrealistic. The goal is to establish identity and presence, forming the foundation of the artwork.

Second layer – Acrylic (Neo-Expressionist Interpretation)
Over the oil portrait, the artist paints a second image using acrylic. This layer reinterprets Basquiat’s neo-expressionist energy through gestural brushwork, graphic marks and abstract interventions.
The acrylic does not fully obscure the oil base. Instead, it interacts with it, allowing the original portrait to emerge through breaks, transparencies and intentional disruptions.

The result is a dynamic interplay between two techniques and two conceptual states: realism and emotion, structure and gesture, the seen and the felt.