Il Bambolo 2016

Manuela Sambo made 'Il Bambolo' using paint on canvas in a 100 x 100 cm circular format. I can only imagine the delicate, iterative process of applying the ghostly whites and grays of the figures. How they seem to emerge out of the golden background, surrounded by a dark, vine-like structure. Maybe Sambo started with a light sketch, letting the forms come to life gradually, each layer responding to the last. You see how the bodies are adorned with intricate, tattoo-like markings? I wonder if Sambo was thinking about ritual, or the ways we decorate and mark ourselves as a way to connect to something bigger. There's a kind of serene power in the mother's gaze, a sense of protection and mystery. It makes me think about other depictions of motherhood in art history, like a Byzantine Madonna, but with Sambo's own distinct, contemporary twist. It’s an ongoing conversation, with Sambo contributing her unique voice. Painting is like that – a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling, all at once.