Noir d'ivoire II 2008

Monique Orsini made this evocative painting, Noir d'ivoire II, with bold strokes of black ink or paint on a stark white background, and you can almost feel the energy of her hand as it moved across the surface. I imagine Orsini standing there, brush in hand, maybe listening to music or lost in thought. The way she flicks the brush to create those swirling shapes, reminds me of calligraphy. And the central form, cradling what looks like petals, has such a poignant and delicate quality. There is something womb-like about it. Is she thinking about birth? Death? The transience of life? It feels like Orsini is in conversation with artists like Franz Kline or even the ancient ink painters of China. She is part of a long and beautiful tradition of mark-making and intuitive expression. Ultimately, it is the process of painting itself – the act of applying pigment to a surface – that becomes a space of inquiry, inviting both artist and viewer to explore the depths of feeling and perception.