New Works by Thomas Graff: Golden Tears + Intimacy is Intricate

Golden Tears - A series of Paintings

Art is a conversation between the self and the world—a dialogue between chaos and control, grief and grace, darkness and light. For Thomas Graff, painting is not just an act of creation, but a deeply personal exploration of resilience, vulnerability, and transformation.

Born in Illinois and a graduate of Northern Illinois University, Graff’s journey as an artist has been shaped by both his formal education and the unpredictable currents of life itself. His organic approach to painting—sometimes deliberate, often instinctual—mirrors the ebb and flow of human emotion. Each brushstroke carries intention, yet his work remainsfluid, allowing space for spontaneity and raw expression.

His latest series, Golden Tears, is a meditation on loss, renewal, and the courage to be seen. Created in response to a period of profound personal change from 2021-2024 — including the loss of his twin brother Daniel to suicide, the passing of his father to COVID, the dissolution of a long-term relationship, a cross-country relocation from New York to San Diego, and the end of his career as a Creative Director —these paintings embody the tension between sorrow and beauty.

In Golden Tears, Graff paints men in moments of quiet vulnerability, their tears rendered in 14k gold foil. The gold, one of the Earth’s most valuable elements, transforms grief into something luminous and precious. This contrast—pain adorned with gold—challenges the way we perceive emotional expression, particularly in men. Tears are often seen as signs of weakness, discomfort, or distress. Yet, they are also manifestations of joy, beauty, and deep, unspeakable truths.

Now based in San Diego, Graff finds himself surrounded by a landscape that mirrors his own experience—vast, radiant, and ever-changing. This juxtaposition of hardship and breathtaking beauty informs his work, inviting viewers to see vulnerability not as something to turn away from, but as something to honor. Golden Tears is an invitation to sit with emotion, to witness the rawness of human experience, and to find value in every tear shed.

Through his art, Graff reminds us that to feel deeply is not a burden, but a gift—to be embraced, gilded, and celebrated. This series is dedicate to his brother, Daniel.

Intimacy is Intricate - A Series of Drawings

"Intimacy (n.): the state of being deeply connected — physically, emotionally, or spiritually—with oneself or another."

Intimacy is often misunderstood. It is assumed to be physical, defined by passion, or reduced to fleeting moments of desire. But in truth, intimacy is found in the quiet spaces — in the weight of a hand resting on another, the warmth of a shared breath, or the stillness of a gaze held just a second longer than expected.

In this series of charcoal and carbon drawings, Thomas Graff explores intimacy through the lens of the gay male experience. In a world where LGBTQIA+ imagery is often saturated with hyper-sexualized or extreme portrayals of lust, Intimacy Is Intricate shifts the focus to something softer, more reflective, and deeply human. There is no judgment in the existence of those other narratives, but Graff’s perspective invites a different kind of storytelling—one that honors the depth of connection beyond just physicality.

These drawings capture fleeting moments: a man lost in thought, the gentle entanglement of fingers, the space between two bodies before they fully embrace. With quick, expressive strokes, Graff embraces the rawness of the medium, allowing energy to shape each piece rather than precision. The immediacy of charcoal and carbon mirrors the essence of intimacy itself—unpredictable, fluid, and undeniably real. Some figures stand alone, absorbed in their own worlds, while others exist in shared moments of tenderness. These works challenge the notion that intimacy must always be bold and obvious. Instead, they reveal that the truest expressions of closeness often lie in subtlety—the softness of a touch, the vulnerability of being fully seen, the comfort of simply being near another without the need for words.

At its core, Intimacy Is Intricate is an invitation to rethink connection, to acknowledge the breadth of experiences that define what it means to be close—to ourselves, to each other, and to the world we navigate. Graff’s work reminds us that intimacy is not just an action, but a presence—one that, when recognized, becomes something profoundly beautiful.