How to Make Lemonade 2017

Laolu Senbanjo made How to Make Lemonade with paint on canvas. The artist is committed to a striking palette of graphic black and white alongside bold, bright background colours. The painting contains bands of pattern which create a vibrant energy behind the figure. The white linear marks that are painted on the model’s face and body are reminiscent of traditional Yoruba body painting, called ‘Ori’. The application of paint is quite flat and even, without a great deal of tonal variation or blending. It is a very contemporary take on portraiture using striking colour combinations and graphic motifs to create a powerful image. The stark white markings create a mask-like effect on the figure, that both conceals and reveals. The work brings to mind other contemporary painters such as Chris Ofili who are drawing on elements of their cultural heritage to inform their work. As with much great art, the work embraces ambiguity rather than fixed meaning.