Papaver 2021

Mary Jane Ansell made this painting, Papaver, with oils. The process here is all about building up layers, a gradual unfurling. I’m drawn to the way the flowers in the background emerge from the darkness, their edges softened, almost dissolving into the grey. This kind of delicate handling of paint – thin layers, subtle glazes – creates a luminous effect, like a memory half-formed. See how the pinks and reds of the blooms contrast with the cool skin tones of the figure, creating a push and pull between the living and the still. It's a conversation with artists like Elizabeth Peyton, who also explore intimacy and vulnerability through portraiture. These are paintings that ask us to slow down, to look closely, and to embrace the quiet beauty of ambiguity.