Matthew Conway has come to regard their art as a reaction to the trauma that many queer individuals face every day, as well as the pain that toxic masculinity inflicts upon all of us. There is beauty, passion, and desire in their paintings and they reflect these values from a place of empathy and respect. Their work has always been about subverting traditional masculinity, creating space that allows for a way to be quiet, passive, and beautiful. They are interested in the tension between figuration and abstraction, the public and the private, the viewer and the performer. They believe all artistic nudes are inherently political, and this informs these paintings. Their artwork offers intimate views of private lives, moments of repose and vulnerability.