Honour Dance 2020

Kent Monkman’s ‘Honour Dance’ explodes with a flurry of bodies rendered in thin washes of colour and delicate lines. I imagine Monkman conjuring this scene, figure by figure, allowing the narrative to unfold through the very act of painting. The theatricality of the scene—the figures in the foreground, the mountain backdrop—suggests a staged drama. I can almost feel Monkman wrestling with the weight of history, layering the canvas with intention. Look at the figure in the black heels – the brushstrokes are so deliberate, full of irony and defiance. Monkman's work resonates with painters like Philip Guston, who embraced figuration to challenge prevailing norms, inviting us to question how art can rewrite history. Artists like Monkman make visible the stories we need to see. It reminds me that painting is a conversation across time, a way for artists to inspire one another with the courage to be bold and challenge norms.