Silver Dagger Headdress 2018

Soey Milk made this painting, Silver Dagger Headdress, with some kind of paint, I'm guessing acrylic or oil, and you can see right away that she's not afraid to let the painting process show. It’s like a dance between representation and pure abstraction. Look at how she’s built up layers of paint, scraping back in places, letting drips run wild. The blacks in the hair is so dense, but then she's added these little flower shapes over the top which make it feel light and playful. There are these tassels of blues and greens hanging down which is a lovely focal point. It’s like she’s inviting us to see the world through her eyes, with all its messiness and beauty. Reminds me a little of someone like Marlene Dumas, in the way she captures a feeling more than a perfect likeness. Ultimately, it's a painting that embraces ambiguity, leaving plenty of room for our own interpretations, and isn't that what art's all about?