Ivory Black 1997

Marlene Dumas made this painting, called Ivory Black, with oil on canvas. I love how she embraces the process, allowing the paint to drip and blend. It’s like she’s not afraid to let the painting breathe and evolve on its own. Dumas's approach to texture and color is fascinating. The paint is applied in thin, translucent layers, creating a sense of depth and luminosity. Look at the floral pattern around the figure's neck. Notice how the petals and leaves are blurred, almost dissolving into the background? It’s like they're there and not there at the same time, evoking a sense of vulnerability. This focus on ambiguity reminds me of Lucian Freud. Like Freud, Dumas isn't interested in creating a perfect likeness. Instead, she captures the essence of a subject, revealing their inner world through subtle gestures and fleeting expressions. And that's what makes her paintings so compelling, they invite us to see the world in a new light, embracing its complexities and contradictions.