Red 5 2021

Monica Ikegwu has made ‘Red 5’ with paint, of course. Imagine the process of applying the paint to the canvas, one brushstroke at a time. The layering of the deep, sultry reds, and the way the glossy mouth shimmers. I wonder if she worked from a photograph or from memory? Maybe she was thinking about other artists that worked with single colours like Yves Klein and his blue period. Look at the way the soft curls frame her face! These are not just details; they're whispers of feeling, each one a tiny echo of the artist's touch. You can almost feel the texture of the paint. Painting is like a never-ending conversation between artists across time. Ikegwu is adding to a long history of artists exploring the emotional power of colour. Each painting is a way to express a new perspective, embracing all the fuzzy, unresolved questions about what it means to be human.