Tea 2020

Salman Toor created this painting, Tea, and it is a dreamlike scene in a dominant green hue. I can almost see the canvas in front of him, with different characters emerging slowly, as in a theatre play. Look how the artist is using Van Gogh's brushstrokes as a starting point to construct a deeply original scene of intimacy. How the artist has manipulated the paint to create a moody atmosphere, the way he has rendered the interior in shades of green, using the colour to convey the scene's emotional temperature. It’s like he’s having a conversation with Van Gogh, isn't it? I can imagine the artist is reflecting on the work of others, finding inspiration and forging his own path through the material process of painting. Isn’t it amazing how artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another's creativity? Painting as a form of embodied expression allows for multiple readings.