Quaicoe’s portraits utilize bold, often bright colors and clothing, as well as a focus on the gaze of his subjects—friends, colleagues, and strangers alike—to convey empowerment. Quaicoe often dresses subjects to fit specific themes, such as his interest in cowboys and Westerns. The shading of subjects’ skin contrasts with vibrant attire to capture the viewers’ gaze, while conveying complex Black stories simply through the eyes staring back at them. “You pick particular clothes for a reason, because you know that when you wear those clothes, it’ll make you feel important or it’ll make you feel powerful or it’ll make you feel happy,” says Quaicoe. “When you look at my subjects in my paintings–the side of the stare, the clothes–it’s about everything.”