"Ian Halawi�s work explores sexuality and identity through cowboy iconography.

Hunting down old photos of cowboys and the mid west he creates an intimate view of what life was like for homosexual men of the mid west. Ambiguous characters and out of shot faces reflect the solitary and often hidden nature of these individuals, giving a feeling of looking back through repressed emotions all too often still experienced by gay men today. Sexuality wasn�t something you were but something you did.

Ian�s series of prints, HORSIE, shown here is an ongoing project exploring gay sexuality and its links with cowboy culture. He uses printing ink like oil paint working quickly with brushes to create monotype prints that feel intimate and nostalgic.

Ian graduated from Staffordshire University in 2008 with a BA in Surface Pattern Design.

He has exhibited with Space59 and has a studio with Prism Contemporary in Blackburn Lancashire."