Baanu Asetena 2021

Cornelius Annor made this painting, Baanu Asetena, at an unknown date. Look at the colors! They are bold and bright, not what you might expect in a portrait. Annor’s painting style feels meticulous; he builds up these intricate patterns in the fabrics. It’s tempting to see how paintings like this are born out of a real love for the process of making. There is something very direct in the way he has painted this couple; both figures sit close together and appear to look directly at the viewer. Notice, too, how flat the background is, and how he uses this to push the couple forward into the foreground of the picture. The patterns in their clothes vibrate against this flatness. Then there’s this pink sofa, with its gestural swirls, which almost seem to mimic the patterns in their clothes. In some ways, Annor reminds me of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, especially in how he uses darkness and light to give his figures so much presence. But the most interesting thing for me about this painting is how it captures the special connection between these two people.