you; the ecosystem, 2024, 30 x 32 inches
This is a portrait of my sister Katherine. the reference photo for this piece was taken in the beginning of 2023! my brother, sister and I were in my mother’s childhood bedroom in Mafoluku, and the power had gone out. I think my brother devised some clever dim lighting and we agreed that our sister looked like the perfect photograph. Kath and Mikey! I’m so grateful for you both; this painting would not have been possible without you.
I am imagining the subject of this painting as an ecosystem, and every part of the painting is a part of her—including the shadows, the miniscule threads. She is cocooned by the transcendent power of love from the past, love from her lineage, which can only be felt and emitted, like heat. Or energy.
