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Abend Gallery is pleased to present Forged in Stillness, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Josh Sorrell. In this body of work, Sorrell moves from tight portraits to the full figure. His subjects sit at the moment their foundation shifts, as vivid color spreads across their skin and into their thoughts.

Sorrell ties each hue to what the figure is experiencing, as if the color itself were the thought or sensation they cannot set aside. What first arrives as an intrusion becomes a source of strength. The paintings look at the space between the private self and the face we show others, and at the work of making peace with our scars.

Forged in Stillness opens with a reception on Friday, February 5, 2027 from 6 – 8 PM and remains on view through February 27, 2027.

We build a reality within ourselves based on everything we experience. Each passing chapter shapes an internal landscape that belongs to us alone. It is a place where we filter the noise of the outside world.

Yet, there is a constant tension between our secret universe and the face we show to others. We often learn to shield our biggest challenges, covering them up with bright colors and gentle smiles. Our true depth remains carefully guarded beneath the surface.

The figures in these paintings exist in that hidden space. Caught in the exact instant their foundation shifts, vibrant hues creep across their skin and soak into their mind. What once felt like an external intrusion transforms into a newfound strength. Sitting in stillness, they absorb the present moment while releasing past weight. They speak to the struggle in all of us to make peace with our scars and to find our strongest selves.

Josh Sorrell (b. 1979, Washington, Iowa) is a self-taught figurative painter based in Des Moines, Iowa. His psychologically rich paintings grow from a fascination with the human mind and the forces that shape a person's psyche, and they often show solitary figures in isolated, vibrant settings. His work looks at self-discovery and personal change, and at how events beyond our control shape who we become. Working in oil on panel, Sorrell blends tone and color into layered compositions. Each painting begins with a photo session lit for drama, and he paints freehand, without guides or grids. His work has received multiple awards from juried exhibitions.