Pyramid 2011

Samia Halaby made ‘Pyramid’ using oil paint on linen; and it’s a riot. The colours have that slightly chalky quality you get with oil, and the shapes feel both precise and accidental at the same time. It's a bit like life, right? Look at how she handles the paint! There's a real push-and-pull between control and letting go. You can see it in the way the shapes butt up against each other, those confetti-like areas of colour. It’s not just about the image; it’s about the physical act of applying paint. Take that big dark triangle on the left. See how it anchors the whole composition? It’s a bold move, and it reminds me of some of the stuff Hilma af Klint was doing. Like Hilma, Halaby has a totally unique visual language, one that celebrates the power of ambiguity and experimentation. It's all about the ongoing conversation between artists across time, and keeping the dialogue open.