Keti Berisha 2012

Gazmend Freitag's "Keti Berisha" is an oil painting where the process feels right there on the surface. It's not trying to hide itself. I’m drawn to the way the colors blend—or don't blend—on the canvas. Like the transitions between the hues on her face. You can see Freitag layering pinks, yellows, and blues to sculpt her features. It’s like he's building her face from pure light and color. Check out the bit of white where the light catches on her left shoulder. There’s a rawness to how it's applied, and it’s so direct, so immediate. The way Freitag uses these almost clashing colors reminds me a bit of early Fauvist paintings. There’s a sense of experimentation and an embrace of unconventional beauty. It's a celebration of the medium itself and the endless possibilities of paint.