A Meeting in Monaco 2007

Tahir Salahov made this oil painting, A Meeting in Monaco, with a bold approach to mark-making and colour. It’s all about the process, and you can see it. The textures are alive – thick strokes define the buildings, while thinner washes capture the sea’s luminosity. Look at how the paint is applied; you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving, creating these distinct shapes and forms. Especially the way the light falls on that wall to the right, where the white paint is mixed with flashes of yellow and brown to create a layered effect. It’s rough, but also refined. It reminds me a little of Matisse, especially in the way Salahov uses colour to evoke a sense of place. There’s an ambiguity here that I love. It’s a painting that invites you to dream, to imagine, and to feel.