Mauna 2017

Sofia Bonati made this drawing, Mauna, using graphite and colored pencil on paper. The graphic quality of the black lines, the monochromatic palette, and the use of paper all lend the work a raw, immediate quality, as if it were ripped from the artist's sketchbook. Bonati's skillful blending of graphite and colored pencil creates subtle gradations of tone. Note how she has used these techniques to render the woman’s face and hands with careful attention to light and shadow. See how the background of concentric circles is built up from single lines, so you are aware of the labor and intense focus involved in the drawing. The rendering of the hair is also extremely fine, contrasting with the bolder pattern above her head. It seems the artist wanted to combine a sense of freedom with one of enclosure. Ultimately, understanding how a work like this is made helps us to see the artist's hand and mind at work. It also challenges the common misconception that drawing is somehow less important than painting or sculpture.