Tuntum 2022

Cornelius Annor made this incredible painting, Tuntum, using oil on canvas and a whole lot of looking. It seems like the painting's built up from many layers, like a slow reveal, each one adding to the story. The surface of the painting has this cool, almost velvety texture in places, while in others, you can totally see the brushstrokes, the way Annor pushed and pulled the paint. Look at the seated figure's patterned jacket, it’s not just flat color, there’s real detail in the marks which suggest the texture of the fabric, the folds and creases. Then there's the background, a kind of flat, decorative field which really throws the figures into sharp relief. I'm thinking about Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, especially in terms of how both artists are playing with ideas around figuration and how paint itself can embody a kind of presence. Annor's work, like any great painting, invites you to slow down, to look closely, and to let your mind wander a little. There's no one right way to see it.