Benny Musliu 2018

Gazmend Freitag made this portrait of Benny Musliu in 2017 using pencil on paper, and what strikes me first is the color palette. Two pencils – one red, one gray – a simple choice, yet it speaks volumes. It’s about process, about laying down lines, building up the form through crosshatching. It's a reminder that making art is as much about the doing as it is about the seeing. Look at the face. The red pencil gives him warmth, a flush, while the gray adds depth and shadow. The lines aren't precious; they're direct, honest. You can almost feel Freitag’s hand moving across the paper, each stroke deliberate, yet free. It's this tension between control and looseness that brings the portrait to life. It reminds me of drawings by Picasso, or even some of Guston's later, more raw works. Ultimately, this portrait invites us to consider how artists use simple means to achieve complex effects, transforming the act of drawing into a deeply expressive and philosophical exercise.