The Arrival 2021

Lanise Howard's ‘The Arrival’ presents us with an oil painting featuring two figures amidst a field of tall grass. The composition is striking, dominated by the lush, verdant grass that surrounds a man and woman who are seemingly emerging from it. The soft light, gentle colour palette, and meticulous rendering of textures evoke a mood of serene introspection. The artist’s technique creates an interesting tension. Howard's hyperrealistic style is in conversation with the painting's dreamlike ambiance. The butterflies which appear to be floating around the figures may function as signs of transformation or freedom. Semiotically, the field itself can be seen as a site of discovery, growth, and possibility. Howard is playing with both the traditions of portraiture and landscape painting while simultaneously subverting the conventional power dynamics often associated with these genres. This piece invites us to consider how representations of identity and place can be layered with symbolic meaning. The painting functions not merely as a depiction, but as an open-ended exploration of existence, emergence, and potential.