The Arrival 2019

Editor: This is Salman Toor's "The Arrival," an oil painting from 2019. There's such an intimacy here. It feels very private, very vulnerable. What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, Toor's work always opens up dialogues about the complexities of identity and belonging, particularly for queer, South Asian individuals navigating Western spaces. Notice how the figures are rendered – the expressive brushstrokes, the almost dreamlike quality. It seems to reference historical portraiture while also speaking to a very contemporary experience. Do you get a sense of that tension? Editor: Definitely. It feels both classic and very much of *now*. Is he making a comment about historical exclusions? Curator: Precisely. I think Toor is keenly aware of the historical absence of queer people of color in the art historical canon. He inserts these figures, claiming space, rewriting narratives. The "arrival" itself… Is it a physical arrival? An emotional one? The entry into a space, or perhaps acceptance into a community? What feelings arise for you? Editor: It’s about both, maybe. The vulnerability of arriving, of needing support… It’s tender but also maybe a little bit sad. The painting style contributes too. Curator: Absolutely, and what about the composition? Think about the placement of the figures in relation to the door, to each other. It is not hard to interpret the scene's complex negotiations of public versus private selves, too. How might we view their interactions regarding codes of conduct within global structures of visibility? Editor: It feels very intentionally posed, as though on a stage almost. Thank you, that was a great perspective shift! Curator: My pleasure. Seeing the art through multiple lenses can add richness. The sociopolitical implications of "The Arrival," in the larger portrait of intersectionality, give us something to consider about who is seen and unseen, welcomed or excluded, valued or devalued in society today.