Wedding Souvenirs 2016

Njideka Akunyili Crosby made "Wedding Souvenirs" with paint and collage. The surface is a layered experience, and I can see the build-up of textures and colours, where the artist is exploring the idea of artmaking as a process. I love how the composition is constructed: a painting within a painting, or maybe a memory encased in a frame. The woman in the painting has this quiet intensity, a stillness that draws you in. Then you notice the patterned background, a riot of colours and shapes that seem to vibrate with life. The patterns are like a visual echo of the souvenirs mentioned in the title. Look at the way the patterned fabric clashes and complements the subject of the portrait. The background doesn't sit still; it feels like it moves. Akunyili Crosby seems to be in conversation with artists like Chris Ofili, in her use of pattern and layering. She is creating a space for ambiguity and multiple readings.