By covering his subject's head in Social Fabric I, Julius Killerby makes an abstraction of the face, but one which corresponds with his sitter's facial features. In this way, he balances the anonymity of the subject with a representational depiction of them. This anonymity, moreover, universalises the figure, perhaps prompting the viewer to put themself in the subject's shoes. People pushed to painful extremes feature in much of Killerby's recent work. Explorations of this theme are intended to capture that which he believes to be most distinct about humanity − the capacity to transcend suffering and instinct through abstract thought. Though apparently secular images, these works are thus informed by Christian iconography and depictions of martyrdom. The compositional conventions of these traditions − that of a pyramidal structure, imbued with a sense of ascension − are also utilised in Self Portrait, in which the artist's visage is blurred, capturing him in a moment of heightened sensation. The shadow − conspicuously static in comparison to the animated figure that casts it − serves as a poignant reminder of the dualities inherent in human existence, and the states of being we have the capacity to experience and transcend.

- Excerpt from the introductory text to the True Fiction catalogue.