Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) is hosting pieces from the expressive exhibit “The Human Touch,” on display now through April 28.

The collection works to redefine what typical portraits reflect. It used to be that portraits only depicted those who could afford to pay for them. “The Human Touch” art exhibit strives to include a diversity of wealth, gender and race.

The pieces from the exhibit are on loan from the RBC Wealth Management collection, which consists of over 400 pieces in a variety of mediums. RBC Wealth Management loans out pieces from the collection to a number of different museums, as to let the public experience the thought provoking collection that is “The Human Touch.”

John Sonsini, an artist who has a piece featured at the exhibit, works in a small studio in Los Angeles and paints only Latin men who he meets on the street. All of the pieces he creates are done in oil, because he prefers the subtlety of the material, and very few of his paintings show anything else besides the person himself.

I paint from life, which means that I have a perspective sitter come to the studio for five hours a day,” Sonsini says.

Fernando As a result, the paintings he creates catch the mood and mindset of the subject. His piece displayed in SMoCA is of a man, Fernando, that Sonsini began painting back in 20003.

I painted Fernando a couple of times, he is one of my favorite sitters.”

Although Sonsini captures the likeness of the sitter, he feels that it is them who learn the most about him.

Sonsini explained, “I would say the most intimate exchange I could imagine is someone eavesdropping on someone working. They’re watching me go through all of the issues I go through while painting.”

Visitors can view Sonsini’s painting and works from the other artists in the collection.

The exhibit will be open until April 28 and is located in SMoCA’s center gallery.

Admission to the museum is $7 for adults and $5 for students; admission is free for children 15 and younger. SMoCA also offers free admission for all visitors all day on Thursdays as well as Friday and Saturday evenings after 5 p.m.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 7380 East Second Street, Scottsdale AZ 85251.