Portrait 2018

Editor: We’re looking at Alaa Awad’s "Portrait" from 2018, made with acrylic paint. I’m really struck by the bold colors—the almost shocking contrast of the blue figure against that fiery red and orange background. What symbols jump out at you? Curator: The color itself becomes a powerful symbol here. Blue, often associated with serenity and spirituality, is used for the figure, immediately creating a sense of otherworldliness. What does this evoke in you? Editor: It does feel like she’s not quite present, almost like an icon…distant but captivating. Curator: Exactly! And then you have the red and orange – traditionally colors of passion, energy, even danger. Placed behind this serene blue figure, a fascinating tension emerges. Think about religious iconography; how often are figures framed by a halo of gold or light? The artist seems to be playing with that expectation, using these intensely vibrant hues to create a similar sense of importance or spiritual energy, perhaps even disruption. Notice also the swirling patterns in her head covering, that evokes a sense of dynamism, life force perhaps. Editor: I hadn’t really considered how the background colors were doing so much work. I was focused on the figure. Curator: It’s easy to be drawn to the face, especially in a portrait! But consider how these Fauvist and Expressionistic choices work together to express deeper emotional truths about the subject, it's a powerful language in itself. It speaks to our history as viewers and our psychological understanding of the world. Editor: This really makes me think about how colors and even patterns become loaded with so much cultural significance, without us even realizing it. Thanks for pointing all of this out! Curator: My pleasure! It is a striking example of how visual symbols create cultural memory.