The Ritual reflects a familiar, shared experience- the shining, greasy aftermath of a good meal. The painting is rooted in cycles, the repetition of eating each day and the inevitable return to what follows. It considers how these small but persistent responsibilities are faced, and whether it is possible to live fully while anticipating something less desirable every day. For Owen Wills, the work becomes an attempt to shift perception, turning a chore into a kind of meditation, where gratitude softens resistance and carries him through the task; in that process, the dishes take on a quieter beauty, and the act of painting itself becomes more fluid and resolved.
Unframed
Signed
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About the artist:

While the subject matter of Owen Wills’ paintings is restless and constantly shifting, they consistently reflect the artist’s core priorities. A quietness runs through much of the work, balancing simple, observed moments with an awareness of the effort and struggle embedded in everyday life. The paintings are smooth and softly rendered, using blending techniques informed by Wills’ time working as a muralist and sign painter in New York City. Drawing from personal photography, physical collage, and archival film stills, the work aims to convey a sense of personal spirituality, finding subtle magic in daily life and elevating its most mundane, humble details.

Owen Wills was born in 1996 at his family’s cheese factory in Plain, Wisconsin. He received his BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2020, before moving to New York City during the pandemic to work as a full-time painter. After several years of studio practice and large-scale sign painting on the East Coast, he presented a self-organized solo exhibition at Tumbao on the Lower East Side. He has since relocated to Los Angeles, where he currently lives and works.

Specs:

48 inches
36 inches
Owen Wills:
The Ritual, 2023
Oil on wood panel
36.0 × 48.0 inches /