Kira Williams has always believed her place was in the classroom, not the gallery. A dedicated art teacher and proud Kamilaroi woman, she’s spent her life championing others’ creativity—so when her best friend pulls out of a coveted group exhibition, Kira agrees to step in with a mix of nerves and self-doubt. As she begins assembling her debut collection, she’s forced to confront a question she’s long avoided: what story does her art really tell?
 
At school, a new Year 11 student with remarkable talent is quietly unravelling. Drawn to his raw ability and his grief, Kira knows what it means to feel unmoored—and reaches out, even as she starts to untangle her own painful past. Meanwhile, a series of accidental encounters with a charming, emotionally guarded stranger begin to stir something unexpected in her heart. But Kira has spent years believing she isn’t someone people stay for, and he's carrying a grief he doesn't know how to let go.
 
As opening night approaches and her portraits take shape—of friends, family, and ultimately herself—Kira will discover that identity isn’t something to be proven. It’s something to be lived.
 
Love Behind the Canvas is a tender, luminous story of art, love, and the power of claiming your whole self. A soulful, romantic novel about identity, healing, and the quiet bravery it takes to show the world who you really are.