Hava Kurti Krasniqi 2020

Gazmend Freitag drew Hava Kurti Krasniqi in 2020, and you can see the layering of the graphite, the way it builds the form, how the mark making is all about the process of describing her face. There's something so immediate about the surface of this drawing. It's not overworked; you get a sense of the artist figuring things out as they go. The lines around the mouth, for instance – they’re not just descriptive, they’re almost like whispers of doubt or contemplation. And then, look at the hair, those dark, scribbled lines feel so gestural, so alive. It makes me think of Alice Neel's portraits, the way she captured the raw, unvarnished truth of her sitters. There is something very real, yet elusive about this picture. Art isn't about perfection, it's about that messy, beautiful journey of seeing and feeling.