Nia, 2022

"Nia" is a captivating large-scale portrait of my decade long best friend. She is depicted as looking hopeful for the future, but that isn't the truth. I have brought her to life by carefully studying the nuances in her expression, and the paintin...

"Nia" is a captivating large-scale portrait of my decade long best friend. She is depicted as looking hopeful for the future, but that isn't the truth. I have brought her to life by carefully studying the nuances in her expression, and the painting as a whole is ignited by the gestural mark-making in the background, representing the darkness, the light, and the colour that radiates from her. To celebrate her identity as a black woman, I wanted to highlight her hair by using similar brushstrokes in the background, and having it stand out against her shirt which I left loose and unfinished. Her photorealistic, detailed face against the abstract, chaotic background is a way of exhibiting the power she has over the circumstances life brings her.