Slick Back 2020

Curator: Monica Ikegwu's "Slick Back," created in 2020, is a powerful statement executed in acrylic paint. It immediately arrests the viewer's gaze. Editor: Absolutely. My initial thought is of texture, a striking contrast between the sleekness implied in the title and the visual depth of the paint itself. The monochromatic color scheme emphasizes the figure. Curator: Indeed. Ikegwu is working within a long art historical tradition of portraiture, but here it’s less about celebrating status and more about interrogating identity. Look at how she situates this everyday act of hair styling within a broader discourse of identity politics and representation. Editor: The artist's hand and comb take center stage here, alongside the figure's hand—all the visible tools used in a regular grooming practice elevated by this very focus on their materiality. Consider how this simple act transforms the work beyond just being a representation. Curator: The choice of acrylic allows for incredibly smooth blending to construct the portrait, yet notice the heavy impasto behind the figure's head. Editor: I agree; the juxtaposition between the smoothness on the woman's face and neck in comparison to the heavily painted surface that feels intentionally built-up creates this dynamism. This brings forward the concept of labour - it’s not just about depicting Black hair, but showing work on the materiality that defines the cultural and political realities it’s entangled with. Curator: And that deepens our understanding, connecting the act of styling to cultural production and the broader socio-political environment shaping our vision. Editor: The painting shows, the material suggests, the slicking back. The medium isn't neutral, in other words. Thank you, this has been really enlightening. Curator: Yes, seeing it through that material lens gives so much more weight to the figure and her practice.