Terrence Higgins Trust - 2023, Timed Auction

London-based contemporary painter Felipe Chavez was born in Colombia. 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.

Waiting For Us Behind White Cliffs is an homage to the memory of a quiet moment during his time in a remote island in Greece, on a beach under white cliffs, where for once, he felt absent from his mental troubles and found peace. He remembers posing alone for the photograph he used to create the painting, while the ominous cliffs surrounding him kept him company and provided a safe space to digest his turmoil.