Empty Handed 1991

Marlene Dumas made "Empty Handed" with paint, and the beauty is in how she lets it all hang loose, you know? The colours are muted, almost like a memory fading. Dumas isn't trying to hide anything. You can see every brushstroke, every decision she made. Look at the way she's rendered the child's hands, slightly out of proportion, yet so expressive. It's like she’s inviting us to witness the act of painting itself. The paint looks thin, not too fussed over. It’s about capturing a feeling, an essence, rather than a perfect likeness. The texture is so important, those little ridges and valleys of paint that catch the light and give the surface a life of its own. It reminds me of Lucian Freud, that same commitment to raw honesty and a willingness to embrace imperfection. Ultimately, it’s not about what the painting depicts, but how it makes us feel.