Sliver 2022

Monica Ikegwu made this striking portrait, titled "Sliver," working with oils to create something that feels both classic and utterly contemporary. Look at how she's built up the face with these subtle, almost imperceptible layers. It's like she's coaxing the figure out of the canvas. There's this sliver of orange light cutting through the composition, bisecting the face, creating a powerful, almost confrontational gaze. Ikegwu plays with a limited colour palette, purples and oranges, to create a mood that is both dreamlike and intense. I'm drawn to the way she uses shadow, not to obscure, but to reveal the contours of the face, to give it depth. It reminds me a little of Kerry James Marshall's portraits, where the figure emerges from a field of darkness, asserting their presence. The more you look at this, the more you realise it's about so much more than just representation. It's about the process of seeing, and of being seen.