Sugar 2009

Beatriz Milhazes made this dazzling painting, Sugar, with acrylic on canvas. The way she builds up these layers of geometric shapes and vibrant colors, it's like watching a dance. There's a real materiality to her work. The paint isn’t too thick, but you can see how each layer influences the next. The circles and stripes feel almost collaged, giving the surface a lively, playful texture. Take the large circle at the top left – how the colors shift and change within it, creating depth and movement. It's like a little world in itself. Milhazes' earlier pieces had a very different energy, much more grounded and earthy. In Sugar, it’s as if she’s let go, embracing this riot of color and form. You see a similar kind of playful formalism in the work of someone like Elizabeth Murray. Art is always this ongoing conversation, each artist responding to and building on what came before, but always with their own distinct voice.