Over the last decade, the American painter Nat Meade has developed a unique style of portraiture within the genre of so-called ‘allegorical autofiction’. In his works, a recurring bearded protagonist embodies emotional states the artist has personally experienced in certain phases of his life or social roles as a man. Their brightly coloured motifs do not refer to external but internal states, while symbolic attributes reinforce the slightly quaint atmosphere that pervades the works. Their mysterious appearance lends them an oracular quality that invites viewers to make them ‘speak’ through their own reflections.