Vanda 2017

Sofia Bonati’s ‘Vanda’ is a monochromatic vortex of ink and graphite that pulls you right in. I can imagine Bonati hunched over this piece, meticulously drawing each concentric line, allowing this image to emerge slowly, line by line. There’s something so physical about the act of drawing – the scratching of the pen, the building of the image through repetition. It’s almost meditative. What's going on with the subject? The cool, tonal rendering of her skin is striking. Her calm demeanor is contrasted by the maze above her head. The hands, held out to the viewer, are penetrated by the graphic lines, which are kind of sinister! The contrast between the maze-like thoughts in her head and the rigid lines that make up her body is echoed in the hands. It’s a visual puzzle, reminiscent of surrealist art. Bonati’s piece is also deeply modern – a contemporary take on portraiture that feels both personal and universal. It makes you think about how artists build upon one another’s ideas across time.