Gabriele 2010

Gazmend Freitag made "Gabriele" with paint on a 70 x 70 cm surface. There is something very open about the way the paint is applied in this portrait. The brushstrokes are visible, and the colours blend in a way that feels both intentional and accidental. The red of her cheeks and hair jumps out, but it's the hat that really grabs me. The way Freitag handles the dark paint, allowing the underlying colours to peek through, gives it a weightiness, like gravity is pulling it down. I love the little details, too, like the white frills of her collar. It reminds me of some of Alice Neel’s portraits, where the raw honesty of the paint becomes a way to really see the person being depicted. It’s not about perfection, it’s about feeling. That’s what makes art so interesting, right? It's not just about what you see, but how it makes you feel.