Moon Suk 2010

Manuela Sambo made this strange portrait, Moon Suk, with who knows what, maybe acrylic and oil stick, on a surface that seems raw. The mark making is loose, uninhibited, intuitive. The colours, especially that sort of sea green, are otherworldly. I can't quite read the expression on the face – that combination of a fixed stare and bared teeth makes the figure so ambiguous. Those little patterns etched on the green skin remind me a bit of Gustav Klimt, but with an edge. Look closely, and you will see those tiny white lines which may be scratched into the paint. What is wonderful about this painting is that it feels very handmade, in the moment, and is not trying to be slick or commercial. I always wonder what Moon Suk is thinking! I love the way that Sambo shows us that art isn’t about perfection; it’s about feeling, thinking, and doing.