Listen Here 

Curator: This oil painting is by Alfred Conteh, titled "Listen Here." It is a stunning, though undated, work in the figurative style. Editor: Wow, it immediately strikes me as both powerful and vulnerable. The figure has this undeniable presence, but that dripping paint...it's like he's being washed away or marked in some way. Curator: The dripping motif is certainly central to the piece. Considering Conteh's focus on Black identity and historical trauma, one could argue it represents the weight of generational burdens, a visible manifestation of systemic oppression clinging to the figure. Editor: I see that. The almost tribal, ritualistic quality of the dripping paint reinforces that idea. The artist isn't just depicting an individual, but layering symbols of shared experience and resilience on his portrait. Curator: Precisely. Look at the sitter's gaze; he is looking down with weary, yet stoic expression. It resonates deeply within the context of historical portrayals of Black subjects in Western art, where agency and dignity were frequently denied. Conteh reclaims that space. He paints modern images of a post modern world. Editor: Yes, there's a kind of quiet resistance there. The color palette, too – the muted browns and olive green – feels deliberate. It evokes a sense of earth, history, a groundedness that anchors the figure even as the dripping paint suggests something fluid and changeable. Curator: And this portrait is an entry point for broader cultural reflections and critical dialogue concerning social justice, identity and, more simply, bearing witness. It seems to ask viewers what active listening really entails and looks like, especially when acknowledging long term systemic ills and wrongdoings. Editor: Right. So it challenges the viewer to truly "listen here," beyond just hearing the words but to connect with the weight and implications of the past? Curator: Precisely. To engage, in short, and be aware that everyone bears the mark and consequences. Editor: Alfred Conteh gives a lot to unpack in one small painting, more than you expect, perhaps. Curator: Absolutely, that invitation is an essential element of why art matters, it creates a community through shared cultural awareness.