Alun Rhys Jones

Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2026 - Finalist

_{Image courtesy of artist.}

Alun Rhys Jones
VIC

Self Scream at 17
2024
Graphite, charcoal on Stonehenge paper
148 x 122cm

In Self Scream at 17, I depict a younger version of myself as scared, vulnerable, and alone, capturing a moment shaped by emotional turbulence and confusion. The work explores deeply personal feelings of isolation, anger, loneliness, and adolescent despair—states that are often internalized and left unspoken. By foregrounding these emotions, I aim to challenge the traditional cultural expectations placed upon young men, which frequently demand strength, silence, toughness, and emotional detachment.

This work allows me to revisit a formative period in my life and acknowledge the ways in which dominant ideals of masculinity influenced my sense of self. These ideals, reinforced through social norms, media representations, and interpersonal relationships, often discouraged vulnerability and emotional openness. As a result, they contributed to a sense of isolation rather than connection.

By questioning and deconstructing these ingrained tropes, I begin to understand how they have shaped my identity. More importantly, the work becomes a space in which I can actively redefine those influences, reshaping them in a way that aligns with my own lived experience and emotional truth. Self Scream at 17 is therefore not only an expression of past pain but also an act of reclamation—an attempt to assert a more nuanced, honest, and compassionate understanding of masculinity and selfhood.