Fraternal 2018

Monica Ikegwu's painting, "Fraternal," presents us with an exploration of kinship, rendered with oil. The muted tones and layered glazes create a surface that feels both smooth and deeply complex. Notice the way the light catches on their faces, particularly on the bridge of the boy's nose, there's a kind of gravity to the brushwork. The patterned background and the way it flattens the image, pushing the figures forward. The gesture of the girl's hand resting on her brother's shoulder is so tender, yet the formality of the portrait introduces a certain ambiguity. It reminds me of the work of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, particularly the way she uses imagined portraits to explore ideas of identity and representation. Ultimately, Ikegwu's painting embraces this ambiguity, offering a space for contemplation on the bonds of family and the complexities of representation.