Ara Malikian 2020

Cricorps’ painting of Ara Malikian is like a heatwave, or maybe an intense musical experience, laid down in strokes of oil paint. It’s all about the energy of performance, captured in these swirling patterns and vibrant hues. Look at the surface – the way the paint is applied so thickly, almost sculptural in places. It’s as if Cricorps is not just painting a portrait, but building a monument to sound and emotion. The colours, mostly warm yellows, oranges, and reds, create a sense of passion and intensity, reflecting the fiery spirit of Malikian’s music. Notice how the individual marks, especially around the musician’s hair, are like little explosions of colour. They’re not just descriptive; they’re expressive, conveying the wildness and freedom of the music. There’s definitely a nod here to Van Gogh’s expressive brushwork and intense colour palette, showing how artists borrow and build on each other’s ideas. It's more of a feeling, not a fixed image.