Mama Waiting 

Curator: Here we have Alfred Conteh's "Mama Waiting", a charcoal drawing with incredible depth. Editor: It immediately strikes me as profoundly sad. The sepia tones and the woman’s expression... there’s a weariness there, a sense of quiet desperation. Curator: Conteh’s work often deals with themes of family, identity, and resilience within the African American community. Considering the social context, it’s important to remember the historical challenges faced by Black families, particularly mothers, who have often been the bedrock of their communities despite systemic oppression. Editor: Absolutely. The composition is striking too – the woman is gazing intently off to the side, almost as if searching or waiting for someone. Her embrace of the child feels protective, but also perhaps burdened. You can almost feel her emotions through Conteh's sensitive use of line and shading with charcoal. Curator: That sensitivity in portraying emotion is key. Conteh’s process reflects his commitment to the social and emotional realities of his subjects. He carefully constructs each image, often layering textures and tones to create a rich visual tapestry that invites us to look closer at the individual stories he depicts. How do you interpret the visual impact of those layered textures and tonal depths? Editor: The background appears almost distressed, those sepia spots, which contrast beautifully with the tight detail and crisp edges around the subjects themselves, evoke ideas about environmental or emotional contamination; of enduring something very difficult over time. I also think the baseball cap the child wears invites thoughts about aspiration, or possibly its thwarting. Curator: And perhaps also a marker of contemporary African American youth culture, subtly positioning this image within a specific time and place, despite its seemingly timeless emotional resonance. The baseball cap really connects it with popular fashion trends as well, that's a strong counterpoint to the overall classic rendering of the portrait. Editor: It's true. Thinking about this work from a contemporary perspective, it's clear Conteh is participating in the ongoing conversation about representation, about giving voice and visibility to those often marginalized or rendered invisible. And the realism reminds us to meet her gaze. Curator: Indeed. And by engaging with history and personal narrative, he offers us an opportunity to reflect on our own perspectives, assumptions, and responsibilities. This artwork invites important introspection. Editor: "Mama Waiting," yes, but maybe she's waiting on the rest of us to show up and share the load. To look for justice, in its broadest sense, with her.