Tena Ase Dwen – Sit And Think 2022

Cornelius Annor made Tena Ase Dwen – Sit and Think with paint on canvas. The cool palette is set against the warmth of the figure’s patterned trousers and yellow shoes, a dialogue which makes me think about the process of setting constraints, and then seeing how much freedom can be found within them. The texture of the painting gives the scene a tangible, lived-in quality. The thick, almost sculptural application of paint on the walls contrasts with the smoother rendering of the figure, drawing our attention to the different emotional registers within the scene. Look at the way the light catches the impasto texture of the wall behind the figure, it's like time has been made solid. This reminds me of Philip Guston’s later paintings, where the materiality of paint becomes a vehicle for expressing complex feelings. Ultimately, what I love about this painting is its openness. It resists easy answers, inviting us to sit and think alongside the figure, engaging with the complexities of seeing and feeling.