La Femme Bleu 1967

Chaibia Talal made this painting, La Femme Bleu, with oil on canvas. Look at the face, built from layers of thick, bright color, yellow, orange and blue. It’s as if Talal is building up her image in layers, trusting in the way one colour sings against another. She’s laying down each mark with confidence, letting them stand alone as strokes of paint, but also allowing them to come together to create a face. The paint feels thick, almost sculptural. See how the surface catches the light, each stroke distinct, full of energy? There’s a real physicality to it, a sense of the artist’s hand at work. If you look closely at the yellow fan shape just below the face, you’ll see how each stroke radiates out, creating a sense of movement and depth, but remaining resolutely abstract. I’m reminded here of work by another outsider artist, Bill Traylor, who like Talal, transformed simple materials with bold imagery. Ultimately, Talal's work reminds us that art is not about fixed meanings, but about embracing ambiguity, trusting the process, and allowing the painting to lead the way.