Dibirdibi Country 2007

Sally Gabori made 'Dibirdibi Country' with paint, probably acrylic, and it's not dated. Looking at the painting, it feels like Gabori is right there in the act of painting: those direct, bright colours; the way the blocks bump up against each other. The brushstrokes are clearly visible, like each swipe of color is a memory being laid down. The texture is important here. Notice how the strokes of paint aren't blended but sit on the surface? That pink blob down at the bottom, for example, feels so immediate and juicy. The whole piece is really about the physicality of the paint itself. It makes me think of Joan Mitchell, but with an even earthier, more grounded feel. Ultimately, Gabori reminds us that painting is a conversation. It’s about feeling your way through a story, one color, one gesture at a time. There's no single way to read it, and that's exactly the point.