Le Peintre 1974

Chaibia Talal made "Le Peintre" with what looks like gouache or maybe acrylic paint. The lines are bold, confident, and define the shapes with real graphic punch. There is such a great energy in the way she uses the paint here. The colors are not mixed much, but put down in pure form, with a real sense of joy. Check out the artist's face – yellow with red cheeks and bright blue outlines. The face is both mask and map. There is a lovely ambiguity with the hands too, are they holding something, or simply gesturing? Talal reminds me a bit of artists like Jean Dubuffet, who sought inspiration outside the traditional art world. And, like Dubuffet, Talal shows us that art doesn't always need to be polished or refined, it can be raw, immediate, and full of life.