How to Make Lemonade 2017

Laolu Senbanjo made ‘How to Make Lemonade’ with paint on canvas, and the way he’s built up the image feels really intuitive. I imagine him stepping back, considering, then diving in again with the brush. I like to think about what it might have been like to create this. The bright bands of colour, orange, green, yellow, and blue, pulse in the background, setting a vibrant scene. Then the figure comes forward, adorned with white markings over their black skin, creating a bold contrast. It’s about identity, right? About claiming space and making something new from what you’ve got. That white really pops, doesn't it? Like a conversation happening right there on the canvas. It reminds me of other artists who play with pattern and identity, like Chris Ofili or maybe even some of the bolder moves of Matisse. We’re all in this ongoing conversation, remixing and responding to each other across time. And ultimately, a painting like this embraces that ambiguity, that sense of possibility.