After Party II 2019

Salman Toor's painting, *After Party II,* presents a scene rendered in a predominantly green palette, establishing a dreamlike, almost surreal atmosphere. The composition is complex, populated by figures in various states of engagement and disaffection. The artist's application of paint contributes significantly to the painting's meaning. The loose, gestural brushstrokes create a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, while the subtle gradations of green evoke a feeling of intimacy. The figures, rendered with delicate attention to their gestures and expressions, convey a sense of vulnerability and unease. Toor subtly destabilizes conventional notions of identity and belonging. The ambiguous setting and the characters' fluid movements suggest a world in constant flux. The painting refrains from prescribing a fixed narrative, instead inviting viewers to project their own interpretations onto the scene. The overriding sensation is one of displacement, a semiotic representation perhaps, of modern alienation. The formal structure, therefore, supports and enhances the painting's thematic concerns.