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We live in a small town where deer roam the neighborhoods. It is a daily occurrence to see does and fawns meandering through the yard while grazing. Our studio is at ground level and the deer frequent the spot right outside the window They are curious, gentle neighbours who somehow seem genuinely interested in our artwork. It is quite rare to see the bucks enter town. When they do there is a feeling of imbalance within the herd. The fawns are intimidated and the does are protectively cautious. On a late winter day, we noticed a buck roaming the hill in front of the studio. After some time it slowly made its way closer to our window. It showed curiosity not usually seen of a buck. We had a friendly stare down and when it felt comfortable that we weren't a threat, he lay down beside our window to take a rest. His rack scraping gently along the siding of the house. This painting represents the moment we locked eyes as he peered in the window. I wasn't sure if he was about to headbutt...

Artrophy is vision. It is how we see, we create, we evolve. Artrophy is meant to inspire. I was born with an inherited optic nerve disorder known as Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy. The condition causes vision loss and colour vision defects. At first, I had no idea I had vision issues. I was a kid who assumed what I saw was what everyone else saw. Only after years did I realize this wasn't the case. But this is not all about me, the art you see here reflects interpretations of a shared reality between Kupu and me. Shaped not only through an eye condition but also by a life of collective experiences. Our creations start with photographs, move to edits and when the time feels right the paint hits the canvas. Kupu is my wife, my eyes,...