Being You
Artist: Dan Forlenza
Year: 2026
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
Description
"Being You" is a striking 16" x 20" acrylic painting that explores themes of intimacy, identity, and shared connection. The composition features two stylized figures leaning toward one another in a moment of quiet solidarity. Their elongated necks and minimalist facial features—defined by sharp, gestural black outlines—evoke a sense of modern primitive expressionism.
The figure on the left is rendered in deep charcoal with vibrant amber eyes, sporting a bold, zebra-like yellow and black pattern on their neck. The figure on the right is painted in a cool slate gray with pink-toned eyes, adorned in a playful purple garment with pink polka dots. This juxtaposition of patterns—stripes versus spots—suggests two distinct personalities finding harmony in each other's presence.
The background is split into two flat, horizontal planes: a soft pastel pink sky and a vivid lime green horizon. This deliberate use of color blocking focuses the viewer's attention entirely on the emotional gravity between the two subjects.
Style and Technique
In "Being You," Dan Forlenza utilizes a bold, neo-expressionist style characterized by graphic lines and a high-contrast palette. His technique involves:
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Linear Definition: The use of heavy, energetic black outlines gives the figures a sculptural quality, reminiscent of woodcut prints or street art.
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Color Blocking: Large areas of flat, saturated color are used to create a vibrant, modern aesthetic that feels both playful and profound.
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Pattern Play: The meticulous application of patterns (the tiger/zebra stripes and the textured polka dots) adds a layer of visual complexity and rhythm to the otherwise minimalist forms.
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Emotional Minimalism: By simplifying the facial features to their most essential elements, Forlenza invites the viewer to project their own experiences of love and friendship onto the canvas.
This piece is a quintessential example of Forlenza’s 2026 body of work, where he continues to push the boundaries of figurative abstraction through the lens of human connection.
Product Details
Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas
Dimensions: 16 inches wide by 20 inches high
Style: Modernism, Cubist-Inspired, Abstract Figurative, Graphic
Condition: Excellent, Ready to hang
Original Painting signed by the artist.
Shipped via UPS Ground or FedEX
Sale is Final - No Returns Accepted for Original Hand Created Artwork
Dan Forlenza creates using an assortment of physical media and digital tools.
- Active Artist Member at WAAM (Woodstock Artists Association & Museum), https://www.woodstockart.org/. Since its founding in 1919, the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum has been committed to exhibiting, collecting and supporting artists and art education and in sustaining the tradition of Woodstock as a “Colony of the Arts.” WAAM is located in the center of the village of Woodstock, New York.
- Nationally published single panel comic artist with King Features Syndicate in weekly feature called "The New Breed" in the 1990s and more recently the co-creator of a sci-fi graphic novel series called "SUPERBUG".
- Creating NFT digital art since 2019 and ranked as one of the top NFT Artists with over 500 NFT artworks sold to over 230 NFT art collectors.
- Digital NFT Artwork is part of The Museum of Crypto Art (M○C△) permanent Genesis Collection.
