Mofumbe 1943

Wifredo Lam made "Mofumbe," a large oil painting, with lush greens, blues, and yellows. You can sense the act of painting itself, with the artist going back and forth, maybe even struggling. I can imagine Lam, mixing his colors, stepping back, and then diving in again. The paint looks like it's applied in layers, with some areas thick and textured, others thin and transparent, like he’s trying to conjure a world. There are these rhythmic marks that suggest both figures and landscape. A particular stroke—that dark, curved line near the top—it's like a question mark, hovering, unresolved. Lam was part of a whole movement, an exciting moment of artistic exploration. "Mofumbe" feels like a cousin to Picasso and Matisse, but with its own distinct voice. Artists like Lam are in an ongoing conversation across time, constantly pushing the boundaries. The painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, inviting multiple interpretations, like a poem that unfolds differently each time you read it.