Emerald Snow 2019

Soey Milk's Emerald Snow is a painting that offers a fresh, slightly psychedelic, take on portraiture. Imagine Milk at her easel, building up layers of greens and reds. There’s a certain haziness to the scene, the figure emerges out of a mist of foliage. I love the way the artist has placed the figure in the composition, framed by these lush plants, that gives us the feeling of an exotic interior. It's all about surface and texture, the smooth skin against the rough fabric of the floral kimono. I wonder if Milk looked at Gauguin while making this? I'm sure she's aware of the dialogue between artists, that ongoing conversation across time, inspiring each other's creativity. Painting's not just about capturing a likeness, but capturing a feeling, an atmosphere. You get the sense that the making of this painting was a process of feeling, of intuition, and the result is both striking and memorable.