In his work, Doud counters the traditional concept of realist portraiture, which stresses the painter’s supposed ability to capture the sitter’s essence and true identity. By shifting the focus to the clothing and makeup that his models choose in various circumstances, he strives to highlight the fabricated components of one’s nature.

Matereality presents works from three different series of paintings—The Lipstick Series, Prime Outlets and None of My Clothes. In essence, they all explore the notion of attire’s function as a cultural signifier, and the way clothing is utilized by individuals for the construction of their outer persona. In The Lipstick Series, Doud painted multiple portraits of his friend Angie, an employee of the cosmetics company M.A.C. In each work, Angie appears in a different outfit that she had assembled according to the shade of lipstick she applied that day. By depicting her numerous looks, Doud uncovers the performative element that is inherent in the ritual of selecting makeup and apparel. For his ongoing series Prime Outlets, Doud asked his models to pose in clothes that have special meaning to them, such as their work attire and the outfit they wore on a major holiday or to their own birthday party. In so doing, he reveals their acute awareness of self.

In None of My Clothes, Doud toys with Charles Ray’s photographic series All My Clothes, in which he documented himself in each of his outfits. For his own portraits, Doud purchased 12 brand name and logo shirts that he would not normally wear, thus diverting attention from his formal depiction, and towards the commodification of identity through cultural signifiers. Whether depicting his friends, strangers or himself, Doud seeks to create external portraits rather than psychological ones. The outcome demonstrates the volatility of our personal identity, and the ability to simply recreate ourselves by donning a fresh outer shell.