Red1 2020

Monica Ikegwu painted this portrait in shades of red and white, exploring the depths of color and tone on canvas. It's so visceral, you can almost feel the artist's breath as she built up the layers, scraping back, adding more, searching for the right balance. I imagine Ikegwu, standing before the easel, mixing her paints, thinking about how she can push the boundaries. There are moments of thick impasto where the pigment is built up, as in the face of the model, creating a sense of texture and depth. Then there are smoother areas of paint where she lets the color do its thing, like the bold red background. I'm drawn to the white triangle in the corner – the way it cuts into the red, creating tension and contrast. Painters are always in conversation with each other across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling. It's a dance between intention and chance, a constant back-and-forth between control and letting go.