Covenant 2022

Lanise Howard made this painting, Covenant, at some point during her life, and what strikes me first is the colour and light. It feels like a dream. A nocturnal meeting. There’s a sense of warmth amidst the cool blues and whites. The figures are rendered with such soft, careful strokes, it's almost as if Howard is caressing the canvas. The way the light catches the skin tones and the folds in their dresses, it’s like she's inviting us to touch and feel too. The central figure is a study in warm browns and purples, the brushstrokes are visible but soft, like a slow dance. It's really a painting about a painter thinking through the process of painting. It reminds me of early Picasso, particularly his Blue Period, in the way it deals with the themes of intimacy and the depiction of female subjects. Art is an ongoing conversation and it’s exciting to see artists like Howard engaging with this history, while pushing it in new and interesting directions.