World 2007

Carmen Delaco painted this haunting portrait, titled 'World', using oil, probably over a period of days, weeks, even months. Just look at the colours – blues, greys, and muted yellows, built up in layers, like sediment. The paint is thick in places, scratched back in others, giving the surface a real sense of depth and texture. I imagine Delaco circling the canvas, adding, subtracting, searching for the right balance between abstraction and figuration, chaos and control. The figure's pose, arms crossed, head bowed, speaks of introspection and vulnerability. Those hands, so carefully rendered, seem to be guarding something precious, or maybe warding off some unseen threat. Is the artist having a conversation with other artists, past and present? I sense echoes of Lucien Freud here, of Jenny Saville, artists who aren’t afraid to confront the complexities and contradictions of the human condition. Ultimately, painting is an act of exploration, a way of making sense of the world, one brushstroke at a time.